Love & War
by Music Antoinette
Summary: Everyone seems to want Count Volger and Dr. Barlow to get together. Except Alek and Deryn, that is. Therefore, they attempt to break them up. Strangely, this seems to bring the friends closer together, and romance suddenly infects them, as well.
1. Chapter 1

Love and War

Chapter 1

"That reprehensible bastard!" A fuming Dr. Barlow stormed into the Mexican bar; disrupting the rustic silence Deryn had become accustomed to in the small desert town. But of course, the boffin wasn't above making a scene. Leave it to her to draw attention whenever possible.

Within moments of her arrival, Dr. Barlow was sitting primly on a bar stool next to Deryn and Alek. Being the woman's assistant, Deryn knew to tread lightly in a situation like this. Dr. Barlow was livid at whatever poor sod was unfortunate enough to incur her wrath.

"What is the strongest drink you have?" Dr. Barlow asked the bartender. "I'll take two of them," she demanded, her voice dripping with venom.

Both Deryn and Alek stared at her a little taken aback. So did Bovril who was perched adorably on Alek's shoulder. "Livid," the ever observant Loris said, as if he purposely wanted to spur on the woman's rage. Alek hushed the beastie.

The scientist looked at them as if just noticing that they were there. "Please, excuse my unladylike speech," the woman said as formally as possible, but there was still a bitter tension in her voice.

She straightened her skirts, and demurely adjusted her hat all while muttering something obscene under her breath. The bartender returned with two glasses of whiskey, "Don't go too far, darling!" Dr. Barlow had told him before he went to service another customer.

"I didn't know you drink, ma'am," Deryn said as she watched Dr. Barlow sip down her beverage, rather quickly, pinky up.

"I don't normally," the woman said. "But seeing the circumstances…" Dr. Barlow said crossly. "Tea doesn't seem strong enough."

"Is something wrong?" Alek asked.

The lady boffin stared at Alek with murder in her eyes that sent shutters down Deryn's spine. She thought the woman was going to attack. But the boffin let out an exasperated sigh instead, "I don't know how you do it, Alek." She said shaking her head in disbelief.

"Do what?" Alek asked.

"Deal with…" Dr. Barlow's eyes narrowed, "_Count Volger_," she said through gritted teeth.

"_Oh_," Alek smiled and slowly nodded as if everything suddenly made sense. "He can come off rather strong at times."

"That is an understatement," Dr. Barlow scoffed and started on her second glass of whiskey. "He thinks he is so much better than everyone else!" The boffin rattled off, "As if the whole world just revolves around him!"

_Blisters, now who does that sound like? _Deryn thought to herself deciding it best not to say such a thing out loud.

"Bastard!" Bovril said. Dr. Barlow nodded and took another sip of whiskey.

Alek glared at the Loris, "He isn't _that_ bad."

"I am sorry if I offend you Alek. But even _you_, of all people, should realize that man can be rather unpleasant and supercilious. I mean who does he think he is? Apparently he is too good for everyone. He even thinks he's better than _me_. What an absurd notion. Perhaps I shall remind him that I am _Doctor_ Nora _Darwin_ Barlow. I have fabricated countless species, a most extraordinary feat for a woman in today's society!"

"Extraordinary," Bovril said.

"This has given me a considerable amount of influence on this ship." She took another sip of whiskey and then added, "At any moment, I could very well have him thrown in the brig!" The woman pointed extravagantly in no general direction, "And I swear on my grandfather's grave that _I will_, if he ever treats me in such a way again!" Dr. Barlow finished her last drink, and then stood, "Good evening, gentlemen," she said leaving them just as quickly as she had arrived.

* * *

><p>"Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!" Alek sang loudly in Deryn's ear, causing a shockwave to course through her already banging head.<p>

_Dumkopff!_ That was his intention after all. The middy stumbled forward, almost spilling the tray she had in her hands. Alek reached out to steady her, while smugly adding an, "I told you so." She might have, admittedly, had a squick too much to drink last night, and was reaping the repercussions that morning. She was just happy she didn't saying anything _too_ revealing. "I told you not to eat the worm," Alek announced, piercingly. "Let this be a lesson to you. Alcohol and insects should not be mixed."

"Get stuffed," she said gruffly.

"What did you say?" Alek said deafeningly in her other ear, sending vibrations through her head. "Speak up!"

"Shut it," Deryn groaned.

They arrived at the stateroom of a certain Clanker Count. Believe it or not, she wasn't dawdling for once; rather she was delivering breakfast to Volger whose room was strangely unguarded.

"Barking spiders!" Deryn entered the room first, but she wished she hadn't. Maybe she _shouldn't_ have eaten that worm after all. Count Volger was still asleep in bed, but he wasn't alone. To her dismay, _Dr. Barlow_ was sleeping next to him (a little too comfortably). Alek appeared next to her, his eyes were wide, and his face was as red tomato. Good, so it wasn't just her. Alek's mouth was gaped open, and Deryn realized that her mouth was wide open as well.

Had the world gone mad?

Deryn's heart was racing, she couldn't breathe, she couldn't move. How could this have happened? She thought they hated each other. This was dead unsettling. Deryn was awakened from her reverie by a sud

* * *

><p>den jolt of electricity, a jolt that could have come from none other than Alek's touch. He pulled her towards the door and the tray fell from her hands and crashed, shattering, to the floor. It took a moment before her body could move on its own accord.<p>

Deryn had glanced back at the two before they were back in the hallway. Alek shut the door tightly behind her. "Eww, Dylan…wha…wha…?" He stuttered. "What was that?"

"Aye, I think we both know the answer to that. We just don't want to accept it."

Alek paced back and forth, and for a minute, she thought the prince would pass out. "But it's…_Dr. Barlow_." Alek shuttered.

"And Count Volger," Deryn added with an equally horrified shutter. "What were they thinking? Who would eh…sleep with them? Plus, aren't they like over thirty, or close to it?"

"Exactly, they shouldn't even be kissing," Alek shuttered again, his face was reddening even more. "And they aren't even married!"

Deryn ran her fingers through her sandy colored hair and sighed. "Okay, let's think about this rationally," she said. "Dr. Barlow was furious with him last night. And she was drinking. That could explain it. That is the only logical explanation I see for those two…spending the night together."

"Yes but, this still doesn't make sense. Volger wasn't drinking, was he? He stayed on the ship. Why would he…I mean…you don't suppose they _like_ each other?" Now _that_ was daft. They couldn't possible have romantic feelings towards one another. That would be weird.

"Only they know for sure." The two locked eyes for a long minute, "Listen Alek, we cannot tell anyone about this." Not that, she would want to; this was almost as bad as when she walked in on her parents. Almost.

"Of course not," Alek said with disgust, and he cuffed his hand over his mouth. "I may be sick."

Deryn felt her own stomach lurch. "Aye, well, I have to get back to work."

* * *

><p>In case you are wondering, Dr. Barlow is not cheating on her husband. She wouldn't do that. That is why I made her a widow. Now you may ask: is it wrong to kill Alan Barlow for the sake of non-cannon fangirl shipping? Well it was either that, divorce, or adultery.<p>

The adultery is pretty self-explanatory. But I didn't want her to be divorced because being a divorced woman in 1914 wasn't exactly ideal. If a man left his wife, it pretty much left her as a social outcast. And I feel as if Dr. Barlow is too respected for that, and I doubt she would have gone gallivanting across the globe if she were in that situation. Also, I didn't want to make Mr. Barlow seem like a terrible person who left his wife and/or mistreated her.


	2. Chapter 2

Love and War

Chapter 2

It was frustrating trying to erase the image from his mind. His mentor and that ungodly scientist locked in a lustful embrace. It was disgusting. Not even being around the engines could rid his mind of the debauchery. This was not helped of course, by being summoned to Volger's stateroom that afternoon where Alek would be forced to relive the nightmare.

Alek was in and out of the conversation that surrounded him. Alek, Klopp, Bauer, Hoffman, and Volger himself were all huddled around the count's desk. The four men were engrossed in a very authoritative conversation, but Alek's mind was elsewhere. The prince attempted to smile and act as he normally would have, but the room was just too hauntingly horrid.

He nodded and smiled every now and then, as if he were listening intently and knew what was going on. Volger kept his room immaculate, which gave it a rather naive feeling. But Alek knew better. His eyes kept wondering over to Volger's bed, with it's teasingly starch white sheets. Its neatness made it seem as if nobody had slept there. But again Alek knew better. It was a lingering presents that seemed to send a cold breeze down his back.

"Young master?" Klopp asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Alek drew his eyes away from the bed once more and turned his attention towards the mechanic. The men watched him with hard and quizzical expressions.

"You seem a little lost today. Is something the matter?"

_My fencing master fornicated with Britain's top fabricator! What the heck!_

"I'm fine," Alek said as calmly as possible, hoping the awkwardness he was feeling wouldn't show. His eyes slowly drifted to Volger who was looking back at him with a vague expression on his face.

"Kids!" Otto shrugged while Alek was still locked in a gaze with Volger. "It's been a while for me." Alek looked at the mechanic, the lines in his face were more defined than ever. He was already up in age, but he seemed even older as of late.

The stiffness of the room broke when Klopp started towards the bed.

"Don't sit there!" Alek shouted, and the crew immediately snapped their attention back towards Alek.

"I wasn't going to," Klopp said looking very confused. "And why ever not?"

"Oh, sorry."_ Dummkopf!_ Alek cursed himself. "It's just uh, err…it's too…soft," after the words came out, Alek realized how ludicrous it sounded. The men all chuckled except for Volger. Alek's reaction probably gave him away. What made it slightly unnerving (and annoying) was that Volger just looked on placidly, as if nothing had given the prince's knowledge away. "Are we done here?" Alek asked anxiously, he was ready to get out of that godforsaken room.

Klopp turned towards Vogler, who nodded his head and the men filed out. "Except for Alek," Volger said coolly before Alek got the chance to leave. The heavy wooden door slammed shut behind Otto and the rest of his men. The door wasn't locked, and he could have easily reopened the door. But the finality of the slamming made Alek feel trapped.

Volger motioned for Alek to take a seat in front of the desk. Alek moaned, but sat down anyway. "Is there something you want to talk about?" Volger said quietly, his face emotionless. "Perhaps regarding what you saw this morning?"

Alek shifted uncomfortably in the wooden chair. "Uh," Alek's heart was racing, "I am not sure what you are talking about."

"I know you and your peasant friend—"

"My peasant friend has a name."

Volger shrugged, and waved his hand dismissively. "Whatever," he said as if he was suddenly bored. Alek rolled his eyes. "I am aware of what the two of you saw this morning."

Alek's eyes widened and blood rushed to his cheeks, "Oh."

"It would be appreciated if this morning's incident remained a secret." Alek groaned as the image popped into his head again.

"I won't tell anyone." Why would he want to?

"Good," Volger said evenly and returned to what he had been doing before Alek and the other men had walked in. The prince found himself still glued to his chair, as he watched Volger neatly pen words onto paper.

The man was ignoring Alek, but certainly this conversation wasn't over. It couldn't be. An explanation regarding that morning's incident would have provided Alek with some closure. Not to mention his hopeful return to sanity. He deserved an explanation.

Volger stopped writing and looked at Alek curiously, "Can I help you with something?"

"Well yes,"Alek blinked, more than a little confused by the count's casual attitude towards the matter, "you could tell me why you two spent the night together in the first place."

"I would prefer not to discuss the matter further," Volger said with his face unchanging.

"So I am supposed to pretend as if nothing had happened? Volger, I cannot get the image out of my mind. This is madness, I need an explanation!"

"It really doesn't concern you," Volger said, brushing Alek off. But the prince wasn't swayed.

And with a deep sigh, Alek asked, "Do you _like_ her?"

"Aren't you needed in the engine pod?" Volger glared at the boy, "Really Alek, who has time to sit around and talk about their feelings all day?"

Alek groaned, exasperated, taking that as a 'no'. It was difficult imagining the man feeling for anyone else but himself or show an ounce of humanity. Heaven forbid that he actually try to have a meaningful conversation with the count that didn't revolve around politics, or survival. "Forget I asked," Alek said. This conversation was hopeless. "Just promise me it won't happen again." That seemed like a perfectly reasonable request.

"I cannot make any promises," Volger said, after a few seconds of quiet musing.

Alek's mouth fell wide open, and it took him a moment to alleviate the shock. This was hardly the reaction Alek was hoping for. Certainly breaking it off with the doctor was the smart thing to do, and Volger always did the smart thing. "What do you mean, that you cannot make any promises?"

"It doesn't concern you, Alek."

"This is mad!" Alek stood up briskly, his disappointment being replaced by a fiery anger rising through his body. It was all too much! As far as Alek could understand, it _was_ his concern. Volger was his ally after all, and Alek looked up to him. Certainly he should at least have been told of a matter such as this, especially since it very well could have affected their station on the ship. It was frustrating being left in the dark like some mere child. "How can you do this? This must stop. You cannot just go around having casual relations with women you barely know. It's immoral, and it's mad!" Alek shook his head disapprovingly. "And as the future emperor of Austria-Hungary, I forbid it!"

He didn't like telling the count what to do. Having to make such a speech was exhausting, but despite that, Volger didn't render much of a reaction. Alek's anger subsided, and was replaced by disappointment once again. Nothing about the Count's countenance reassured Alek that his fencing master still had an honorable bone in his body. It was certainly no mystery that perhaps the count could be wicked in his methods, but they always had underlying nobility at the heart. But as far as Alek could tell, there was none of that in this situation and that shook Alek to the core.

"I should probably get back to the engine pod," Alek said slowly, and with a heavy heart. He delayed leaving, hoping that Volger would show some sort of remorse before he left the room. But alas, there was none of that, just the cool, pragmatic expression the man always had. "I still mean what I said," Alek said vehemently, but not quite sure if his words would hold. "This has to stop."


	3. Chapter 3: Revised

Love and War

Chapter 3

If Deryn's hunch was correct, and Dr. Barlow drank herself straight into Volger's arms, then the lady boffin would be in a sour mood that afternoon which would make for a rather unpleasant trip into town. Deryn and Mr. Newkirk were to accompany Dr. Barlow. Apparently one of Dr. Barlow's boffin friends was developing new beasties there in Mexico; Dr. Barlow was invited to the zoo to take a sneak peak.

It was all rather exciting, really. Deryn had never been to a boffin's lab before. She couldn't wait to see the new beasties, and she was determined not to let Dr. Barlow's bitter mood dampen the afternoon. She was elated Dr. Barlow was bringing her along. Newkirk, on the other hand...

"I don't see why we both have to go," Newkirk groaned. "Who knows what madcap monsters the boffins are creating?"

Deryn rolled her eyes, hoping that she wouldn't have to listen to Newkirk's gripes the entire trip. Wasn't it bad enough that she had to deal with a resentful lady boffin? "Relax, this will be fun."

"Not for me," Newkirk moaned.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Dr. Barlow said in her usual cool manner as she appeared before them, along with a very anxious Tazza. No such anger was found in her voice at the moment, but Deryn made sure not to be too comfortable with it. Any emotion the lady boffin lacked was surely made up for by Tazza's constant commotion. The creature bounced happily at the end of his leash and Newkirk flinched as the thylacine gave his boot a good lick, prompting a laugh from Deryn.

"He likes you," Deryn told him and then punched him playfully in the arm. Dr. Barlow handed Tazza's leash to Deryn without a word. And Deryn was suddenly reminded of how tiresome the woman could be.

"Let's not dawdle any longer, gentlemen," Dr. Barlow said leading them down the hallway, although it was the midshipmen who had been waiting on _her_. "How was your morning?" The lady boffin asked, pleasantly enough.

Deryn looked at Newkirk with a puzzled expression on her face, a look her mate did not return. "Fine," Newkirk responded as part of the perfectly civil conversation. "The flechette bats seemed awfully hungry this morning."

"And how about you, Mr. Sharp?"

"It started off a bit…awkwardly," Deryn said.

"Is that so? Well hopefully it got better."

Deryn nodded and smiled. Apparently, the lady boffin was bent on driving Deryn mad. Was she daft? The woman had to know that at least Deryn saw her and Volger today; Deryn had shattered the plate in the count's stateroom after all. And she was the one who had been taking the Clankers their breakfast every morning for the past month or so. Not that she was complaining, of course. After all, it did give her an excuse to visit Alek on a regular basis. And she actually _liked_ Alek, without the whiskey. But that was another matter Deryn didn't want to dwell on at the moment. They were visiting a boffin's lab, Deryn reassured herself, like a captain speaking to her troops. This was going to be a good day and neither Newkirk's complaints nor Dr. Barlow's mind games were going to win the day.

But the thing is, Deryn reverted, how was it that these two have one madcap night together, and she couldn't even get a kiss out of Alek. Of course, that was partly due to the fact that he thought she was a boy, but bloody still. It wasn't fair! The boffin and Count didn't have to deal with the whole gender mess, lucky them, it was all incredibly annoying.

"Are you okay, Mr. Sharp?" Dr. Barlow asked, slightly amused by Deryn's manic thoughts. "You seem a little lost," the woman said as if dissecting one of her science experiments.

This question, of course, only added to Deryn's confusion. Why couldn't Dr. Barlow just acknowledge the morning's discovery? That way, the initial awkwardness would be out of the way. You couldn't just spend the night with an evil count and act like everything was routine the very next day. The woman was playing some sort of angle.

"I'm fine," she said evenly. Dr. Barlow stared at her, blinking a few times, as if she wanted Deryn to say more. She knew. Deryn sneered; the lady boffin was definitely up to something...again. But Deryn wasn't in the mood to be manipulated. Not this time. Dr. Barlow wasn't the only clever-boots on the ship. Deryn should remind her some time.

* * *

><p>"Mr. Sharp, Mr. Newkirk, I would like to introduce you to a long-time colleague of mine, Dr. Richard Gartner. He was invaluable to me during the Perspicacious Loris project."<p>

"It's nice to meet you," Newkirk said shaking the hand of the tall man who was standing beside Dr. Barlow. Newkirk was a bit hesitant, but Deryn reckoned that was due to the fact that they were standing in the middle of an exotic green house. There were all sorts of weird beasties and plants on display turning the space into a well-organized jungle.

Deryn's eyes were wide as she looked around. It took every muscle in her body to prevent herself from running amuck like a kid in a toy store.

"Impressed?" Deryn looked at Dr. Gartner, who had an amused expression on his face. "Don't hold your mouth open like that, Son. This is the last place you want to catch flies." Dr. Barlow let out a small laugh.

"Mexico seems to have a lot of beasties that could kill you," Newkirk said, nervously.

"The flies will not kill you. But still, my advice to you would be not to catch them with your mouth. The rattlesnakes are what you need to look out for. They are enclosed in here, but in the wild, avoid them." Deryn nodded, the boffin seemed very anxious when talking about the beasties. Dr. Gartner raised an eyebrow, "Have you ever been to Australia, Mr. Newkirk?"

"Of course not."

"Well, then you have nothing to complain about."

"Except rattlesnakes," Newkirk mumbled to Deryn, indignant.

"Let me take you into the lab," Dr. Gartner said, excitedly handing each of the midshipman a lab coat and goggles. The man flashed a bright white smile as he handed the lab gear to Dr. Barlow.

Like all boffins, he wore a bowler hat; perched atop a pile of meticulously combed blond hair. His lab coat was squeaky clean, and the clothes underneath were perfectly neat. It was humorous to imagine how long he spent getting dressed every morning. Deryn normally just threw on the standard uniform and left, no fuss. Dr. Gartner seemed to do the exact opposite. "Do you remember that one year at Cambridge?" Dr. Gartner asked the lady boffin who seemed to be used to his sporadic conversations, if not enjoying them. "We were in Australia," he said nodding towards Newkirk. "I was a life saver, wasn't I, Nora?"

Dr. Barlow smiled, "And incredibly humble as well."

Dr. Gartner shrugged and laughed, "Well, you were the one who spotted the beastie."

"And then to see the look on the professor's face when he came looking for us..." Dr. Barlow laughed.

"It was priceless!" Dr. Gartner laughed harder. Meanwhile, Deryn and Newkirk looked on, wondering what was so barking funny. Dr. Gartner's laughter subsided, enabling him to speak once again, "It is so nice to see you again, Nora." He sighed.

"It's nice to see you too. We had a lot of good times together didn't we?" she said thoughtfully.

"Yes, yes we did. Why do I always tend to laugh my hardest when I am around you?" He smiled before leading the three of them through a pair of double doors. "Say, speaking of crocodiles, I will show you some today. It amazes me how closely related they are to dinosaurs."

"Crocodiles? Dinosaurs?" Newkirk gulped, looking as if he were about to faint.

The man led them into a sterile looking white lab. "This is where all the real action happens!" The boffin exclaimed, "Let me show you one of my latest projects."

Deryn followed him eagerly. The trip certainly didn't fall short of Deryn's expectations. As annoying as boffins could be at times, they truly were brilliant. They seemed to be able to do _anything_ with life threads. Of course, most of the work that was being done in the lab was incomplete, but still. And it was clear that the boffins were enthusiastic about their work. Dr. Gartner seemed to treat each of his experiments as if they were his children.

"I wish you had more time," Dr. Gartner said to Dr. Barlow at the end of the visit. "Your visit has reminded me of the old days."

"Minus the near-death situations, of course," the lady boffin smiled.

"But that's when it was the most fun!" As Dr. Gartner said this, Deryn quickly grasped how strange it was seeing Dr. Barlow with a friend. It made the woman seem almost normal. But then why wouldn't she be friends with Dr. Gartner, he seemed as if he would have loads of friends. The man was brilliant and incredibly charismatic. "Say, what are you doing tomorrow? Perhaps we could go out to lunch."

"Well I am sure Mr. Sharp and Mr. Newkirk have their little middy duties to attend to." Dr. Barlow said as she prudishly adjusted her bowler hat. Deryn's eyes widened. _That_ was one of the many reasons why it was difficult to imagine the lady boffin with friends.

"Actually," Deryn said with a wee bit of acid in her voice. "I think I could make it. That is, if the _Leviathan_ won't fall apart without me."

"Splendid!" Exclaimed Dr. Gartner. "It's settled."


	4. Chapter 4: Revised

Love and War

Chapter 4

"It was nice to see Richard again," Dr. Barlow said. She was sitting next to Deryn on a bench in front of a large brightly lit white dome that encompassed the lab and research area.

The two were alone; Newkirk had run off to the restroom soon after the visit to vomit in true Monkey Luddite fashion. "Quite the atmosphere isn't it." Dr. Barlow said looking up; the sky was a blend of bright orange and purple as the zoo prepared to close in the last wee hours of daylight. "The natural world truly is marvelous, why else become a boffin, I suppose."

Perhaps Deryn was overreacting, the sky was beautiful indeed, but how is it that they went the whole day without uttering a word of the previous night's events. And now certainly they were not just going to sit here a talk about the weather. "What are you up to?" Deryn asked skeptically.

Dr. Barlow raised an eyebrow, "Pardon?"

"You are up to something. Why are you acting so normal? Why aren't you ripping the heads off of message lizards?" Deryn shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"One can hardly _act_ normal," Dr. Barlow said imperiously; she stared at Deryn for a moment before wryly saying, "Message lizards never did anything to me. At least, not in recent memory." Deryn groaned, the woman was mocking her.

"You know what I mean. I think you, and I both know that last night you had a wee bit too much to drink, as a result, you might have…done some things that you probably regret." Dr. Barlow blinked, and Deryn hoped that the boffin didn't make her say it out loud. "You know…_last night_."

"Honestly, Mr. Sharp!" Dr. Barlow frowned, looking every bit incensed, "What sort of woman do you take me for!"

"We all make mistakes," Deryn said consolingly as she honestly tried to ease Dr. Barlow's state of mind, for both their sakes. It didn't seem to be working and Deryn suddenly dreaded that she had brought this up. This touchy feely crap never worked in the past, she did not know why she was trying it again now; she should stop listening to her ma. "You're upset, I know," Deryn said, it seemed like a practical thing to say, but she had no idea where to go from here.

"I must say, I don't appreciate you telling me how I should feel." Dr. Barlow's face returned to its stoic facade. "Mr. Sharp, I didn't have that much to drink last night. You were there; I only had two small glasses." The lady boffin said a matter-of-factly.

"But…"

"I am not the type of person to get exceedingly intoxicated. Alcohol turns even the most civilized men and women into apes with no control over their own actions. Certainly you do not believe I would lose control over my body like some common whore." Dr. Barlow was quite the control freak, and after hearing this, Deryn thought about ending the conversation right then and there. "Not that it concerns you, _by the way_," she added impetuously.

It was all too late for that. Deryn raised an eyebrow and looked away into the distant night sky. There was a liberal amount of blushing coming from her, far more than she would like. "_O_h__." Deryn felt her stomach turn and other bodily functions began acting odd since her brain had gone all pear-shaped trying to comprehend why anyone would want to... "Why?"

"What does it matter to you?"

"I don't think you understand the effect this is having on me. I cannot simply forget it. It's ingrained now. I am not enjoying this conversation by any means; I just need you to make sense of the world."

Dr. Barlow gave her a very sour look, "Believe it or not, Dylan, I am very much in love with him."

Deryn wasn't trying to be rude when she had a bit of a chuckle. The lady boffin _had_ to be pulling her leg. Why would anyone _love_ Count Volger? He's evil. This was the same man who held a sword to her throat. The man who blackmailed her, and would do it again without thinking twice about it. He'd tell the world her secret, and thus ruin her career, without so much as blinking.

"I am quite serious, Dylan!" Dr. Barlow said tersely after Deryn stopped laughing.

Deryn's eyes widened; she was getting on the woman's bad side now. "But you were so angry with him only moments before you left the bar."

Dr. Barlow shrugged dismissively, "Couples fight all the time," the lady boffin said as she drummed her fingers against the wooden bench. "_Some more than others…_" The woman smiled.

_Wait; _did she just say 'couples', inferring that she and Volger were somehow in a relationship? Maybe this was more serious than Deryn thought. "Weird…"

"There is nothing '_weird'_ about it!" The woman said curtly, folding her arms.

"_Love_ is perfectly natural. It is what keeps our species vibrant and content. It's all part of being human. And I do hope that you get to experience it one day. And perhaps you will have the good fortune of having nosy midshipman keep out of your personal matters."

Deryn ignored the later bit. Yes, but surely Volger was the exception. How could loving him possibly be natural? "How long has this been going on?" Deryn asked.

"Not too long after you disappeared in Istanbul. At first we began simply exchanging information regarding war and politics and the like. But then one thing led to another. We realized that we had a few things in common."

Deryn did the math and was astonished, "That is a long time."

"Why of course, these things do not develop overnight."

Deryn smiled weakly recalling how long it had taken her to fall for Alek, only a day or so. But this was Volger she was speaking of. So surely it would take longer for someone to fall for him, if at all.

"But what if the captain finds out?" Deryn said desperately. Though in all honesty, she really didn't care, that was their problem whether or not the captain knew. She just needed to say something that would discourage this ridiculous relationship.

Dr. Barlow scoffed, "I'm hardly worried about that." A smirk appeared across the woman's face, "I know I can trust you, Mr. Sharp. I know you won't relay this conversation to anyone."

"_Blisters_," Deryn groaned. Apparently Dr. Barlow planned on continuing this relationship, and expected Deryn to look the other way. She let out a heavy and pained sigh, "Yeah, I won't tell.


	5. Chapter 5

Love and War

Chapter 5

"Why would he do this?" Alek mused aloud; he felt the warmness of Bovril, curled up beside him, sinking into his side. He supposed that was meant to be comforting. Alek was lying on his back, on his bed, staring up at the intricate stateroom ceiling. He must have traced the design on the ceiling in his mind a dozen or so times. This of course sent his mind spinning even faster, as if he needed more thoughts rushing through his head. Thoughts consisting mostly of disappointment, anger, and confusion. "How could he do this?"

"Bastard!" Bovril said.

Alek cringed slightly before he pulled Bovril onto his chest. "Perhaps; for lack of better words." Alek heard a loud extravagant knock at the door, "You mind giving me a hand?" He heard someone call from the other side.

"_Mr. _Sharp," Bovril chimed dutifully as Alek opened the door, Dylan didn't wait.

"Take one, before I drop it," Dylan said hurriedly as he attempted to balance two trays of food in his arms. Alek took a tray from the boy and shut the door behind him. It was always a treat when the two best friends had the opportunity to eat dinner together especially now that Alek had so much weighing him down.

The two sat on the bed with Bovril in between them preparing to beg for food. Dylan opened up a pack of crackers and gave them to the creature. "Crackers," he told the beastie, and then looked at Alek, noticing the prince's forlorn face, "Someone had a rough day. Anything new?"

"My fencing master is going to rot in hell for all eternity."

Dylan stared at him for a moment without blinking, "Anything _new_?" Alek's hand tightened around his fork, and he glared at the boy. "Aye, sorry," Dylan threw up his hands.

"This is serious, Dylan. How can you find humor in this? Volger's done some terrible things over the years but…_this_!"

"Did you talk to him?"

Alek scoffed.

"Aye."

"He completely brushed me off. It's impossible to have a conversation with him like an actual person!"

"Crackers?" Bovril pointed to the pack of unopened crackers on Alek's plate, seemingly ignoring the prince's rant. Crackers that Bovril took happily once Alek opened them for him.

"Aren't you going to ask about my day?" Dylan smiled proudly.

"No, that's okay," Alek blinked, leaning back teasingly, earning a hit from Dylan.

"Well, Newkirk and I went to the zoo with Dr. Barlow to see all of the new fabrications that the boffins were creating. It was interesting. We mostly focused on the work Dr. Barlow's friend was doing, Dr. Gartner—a little too shiny, but he knew his stuff. Very boffin like I suppose. He seemed to be very friendly with Dr. Barlow."

"Hence the term, 'friend'."

"Yeah," Dylan said softly, as he chewed on a spoonful of potatoes. For such a skinny boy he sure could eat. "It was a pretty exciting day overall. We are all going out to lunch tomorrow. But…" the boy started.

"But what?"

"I had a rather interesting conversation with the lady boffin," Dylan said slowly.

"Was it about her having intercourse with-?"

"Intercourse?" Dylan interrupted with his mouth full of chicken. The boy seemed very confused, but that didn't prevent him from letting out a small laugh. "Didn't your parents ever explain this to you? Or maybe one of those fancy-pant tutors of yours." Dylan lowered his voice to a whisper, "You do know that they had…sex, right?

Alek winced at the word, "Yes, Dylan, that is what I meant."

"Oh," Dylan said scratching his head.

Bovril giggled madly, and Alek shook his head at the creature. "I was trying to use a more…modest term." Dylan raised an eyebrow skeptically. "These potatoes are really good," Alek said, stuffing his mouth.

"What?"

"Never mind, forget it, that's not the point," Alek shrugged. "What were you saying before?"

"Dr. Barlow reminded me that she didn't have that much to drink last night. Apparently, she loves him," Alek's brows shot up, and Dylan didn't bother hiding his disgust. "She isn't an easy person to talk to, by the way."

"That's…wow…," Alek frowned. "Volger doesn't seem to feel the same way."

"That's a bit messy, isn't it? Did you know this has been going on ever since my mission in Istanbul?"

"How did we not know this?"

"They're just sneaky, I suppose."

"Well, I for one think this has gone on long enough. We have to stop this somehow. It's the right thing to do."

"And how exactly do we do that?"

Alek thought for a moment, "Are you sure Dr. Barlow has feelings for Volger?"

"I still don't believe it, but that's what she said."

"So it sounds as if this relationship is pretty much a one way street." Alek smiled roguishly, "If we somehow informed her of the situation she would probably want to break it off. What woman would appreciate being stringed along or used even? She'd be upset no doubt. In fact, she would thank us; we would be doing her a favor."

"We would be! And why stop there?" Dylan stroked his chin and grinned mischievously. "Let's really beat this relationship to the ground." Alek looked at him intently. He had the same glint in the eye that he always had before he did something that would probably get him in trouble. "Let's get it into Volger's mind that somehow, Dr. Barlow is involved with Dr. Gartner. Maybe he will think she has moved on, to better things. You know like she is no longer interested. Even if he doesn't care about her, this would surely get under his skin. He doesn't seem like a guy who would want to be number two."

Alek smiled and nodded, perhaps he should be a little worried about the path that they were about to embark on. Meanwhile, he wanted to uncover even more ways to drive a wedge between the boffin and count.

"Dr. Barlow and Dr. Gartner are already exceedingly friendly with one another."

"Bastards!" Bovril said angrily, glaring at the two friends.

Alek shushed the creature, "We are doing the right thing. They have no business being together. It's wrong. Plain and simple." Alek folded his arms; he didn't have to explain this to the loris.

"Hey!" Suddenly Dylan snapped his fingers, "See if you can bring Volger to Los Anchos tomorrow. That's the restaurant where we are to have lunch. Get him there, and leave the rest to me."

Alek and Dylan stared at each other smiling. This plan just may work. It had to! It was for the best. Besides those two were always manipulating Alek and Dylan, it was about time they return the favor.

Love and War

Chapter 5

"Why would he do this?" Alek mused aloud; he felt the warmness of Bovril, curled up beside him, sinking into his side. He supposed that was meant to be comforting. Alek was lying on his back, on his bed, staring up at the intricate stateroom ceiling. He must have traced the design on the ceiling in his mind a dozen or so times. This of course sent his mind spinning even faster, as if he needed more thoughts rushing through his head. Thoughts consisting mostly of disappointment, anger, and confusion. "How could he do this?"

"Bastard!" Bovril said.

Alek cringed slightly before he pulled Bovril onto his chest. "Perhaps; for lack of better words." Alek heard a loud extravagant knock at the door, "You mind giving me a hand?" He heard someone call from the other side.

"_Mr. _Sharp," Bovril chimed dutifully as Alek opened the door, Dylan didn't wait.

"Take one, before I drop it," Dylan said hurriedly as he attempted to balance two trays of food in his arms. Alek took a tray from the boy and shut the door behind him. It was always a treat when the two best friends had the opportunity to eat dinner together especially now that Alek had so much weighing him down.

The two sat on the bed with Bovril in between them preparing to beg for food. Dylan opened up a pack of crackers and gave them to the creature. "Crackers," he told the beastie, and then looked at Alek, noticing the prince's forlorn face, "Someone had a rough day. Anything new?"

"My fencing master is going to rot in hell for all eternity."

Dylan stared at him for a moment without blinking, "Anything _new_?" Alek's hand tightened around his fork, and he glared at the boy. "Aye, sorry," Dylan threw up his hands.

"This is serious, Dylan. How can you find humor in this? Volger's done some terrible things over the years but…_this_!"

"Did you talk to him?"

Alek scoffed.

"Aye."

"He completely brushed me off. It's impossible to have a conversation with him like an actual person!"

"Crackers?" Bovril pointed to the pack of unopened crackers on Alek's plate, seemingly ignoring the prince's rant. Crackers that Bovril took happily once Alek opened them for him.

"Aren't you going to ask about my day?" Dylan smiled proudly.

"No, that's okay," Alek blinked, leaning back teasingly, earning a hit from Dylan.

"Well, Newkirk and I went to the zoo with Dr. Barlow to see all of the new fabrications that the boffins were creating. It was interesting. We mostly focused on the work Dr. Barlow's friend was doing, Dr. Gartner—a little too shiny, but he knew his stuff. Very boffin like I suppose. He seemed to be very friendly with Dr. Barlow."

"Hence the term, 'friend'."

"Yeah," Dylan said softly, as he chewed on a spoonful of potatoes. For such a skinny boy he sure could eat. "It was a pretty exciting day overall. We are all going out to lunch tomorrow. But…" the boy started.

"But what?"

"I had a rather interesting conversation with the lady boffin," Dylan said slowly.

"Was it about her having intercourse with-?"

"Intercourse?" Dylan interrupted with his mouth full of chicken. The boy seemed very confused, but that didn't prevent him from letting out a small laugh. "Didn't your parents ever explain this to you? Or maybe one of those fancy-pant tutors of yours." Dylan lowered his voice to a whisper, "You do know that they had…sex, right?

Alek winced at the word, "Yes, Dylan, that is what I meant."

"Oh," Dylan said scratching his head.

Bovril giggled madly, and Alek shook his head at the creature. "I was trying to use a more…modest term." Dylan raised an eyebrow skeptically. "These potatoes are really good," Alek said, stuffing his mouth.

"What?"

"Never mind, forget it, that's not the point," Alek shrugged. "What were you saying before?"

"Dr. Barlow reminded me that she didn't have that much to drink last night. Apparently, she loves him," Alek's brows shot up, and Dylan didn't bother hiding his disgust. "She isn't an easy person to talk to, by the way."

"That's…wow…," Alek frowned. "Volger doesn't seem to feel the same way."

"That's a bit messy, isn't it? Did you know this has been going on ever since my mission in Istanbul?"

"How did we not know this?"

"They're just sneaky, I suppose."

"Well, I for one think this has gone on long enough. We have to stop this somehow. It's the right thing to do."

"And how exactly do we do that?"

Alek thought for a moment, "Are you sure Dr. Barlow has feelings for Volger?"

"I still don't believe it, but that's what she said."

"So it sounds as if this relationship is pretty much a one way street." Alek smiled roguishly, "If we somehow informed her of the situation she would probably want to break it off. What woman would appreciate being stringed along or used even? She'd be upset no doubt. In fact, she would thank us; we would be doing her a favor."

"We would be! And why stop there?" Dylan stroked his chin and grinned mischievously. "Let's really beat this relationship to the ground." Alek looked at him intently. He had the same glint in the eye that he always had before he did something that would probably get him in trouble. "Let's get it into Volger's mind that somehow, Dr. Barlow is involved with Dr. Gartner. Maybe he will think she has moved on, to better things. You know like she is no longer interested. Even if he doesn't care about her, this would surely get under his skin. He doesn't seem like a guy who would want to be number two."

Alek smiled and nodded, perhaps he should be a little worried about the path that they were about to embark on. Meanwhile, he wanted to uncover even more ways to drive a wedge between the boffin and count.

"Dr. Barlow and Dr. Gartner are already exceedingly friendly with one another."

"Bastards!" Bovril said angrily, glaring at the two friends.

Alek shushed the creature, "We are doing the right thing. They have no business being together. It's wrong. Plain and simple." Alek folded his arms; he didn't have to explain this to the loris.

"Hey!" Suddenly Dylan snapped his fingers, "See if you can bring Volger to Los Anchos tomorrow. That's the restaurant where we are to have lunch. Get him there, and leave the rest to me."

Alek and Dylan stared at each other smiling. This plan just may work. It had to! It was for the best. Besides those two were always manipulating Alek and Dylan, it was about time they return the favor.


	6. Chapter 6

Love and War

Chapter 6

"I cannot believe you talked me into going to this filthy town," Volger said with disgust as he and Alek walked through the dusty, crowded, desert town. "Not exactly how I want to spend what little free time I have."

Alek forced a smile. Hopefully he could get Volger to Los Anchos without arousing suspicion. Not an easy task. And it certainly didn't help that Alek still garnered bitter feelings towards his fencing master. "It's a beautiful day! We should explore this city while we have a chance."

Of course, the Darwinists had other plans for Alek and his crew. Any 'free time' was spent under lock and key or under the watchful eye of a guard. Even now, as they walked down the dusty road with the harsh noon sun pounding down on them, they were accompanied by two large grizzly men. Every time Alek looked behind him there they were, following close behind the two Austrians.

"There are better things we could be doing," Volger said dryly, involuntarily kicking up red dust as he walked. But Alek thought otherwise. Just before they left Alek virtually had to drag the count out of his cabin, where Volger's head was hidden behind a rather dull looking book. No doubt about something that Alek probably didn't care about but should. He didn't seem too busy then. "This is a waste of time."

Alek rolled his eyes for the fourth time that day. In an unexpected turn of events, he seemed to find every minute with the count exasperating. "So," Alek said suddenly, "Dylan went with Dr. Barlow to lunch, we may run into them, but who knows." he said casually, which received little to no reaction from Volger. "Yes, they went with one of Dr. Barlow's really good friends. He is a boffin, a Darwinist, like her. And according to Dylan, they have a lot of other stuff in common. They are very close."

Volger glanced at him indifferently, "Is that supposed to mean something to me?" he asked, though it wasn't necessarily a question.

Alek shrugged, "I guess it is interesting imagining the woman with friends."

"She can't have friends?" Volger asked, "She is pleasant enough."

"Um…" Alek raised an eyebrow, he wasn't expecting that response. "Well, yes of course. It's just, they are quite friendly with each other, borderline touchy. And Dylan said that he is actually quite handsome."

"I suppose he would know," Volger said cryptically, but that was it. The man was hard to read, and Alek wondered if he had said the right things. But then Volger raised an eyebrow. "And the two of them went to lunch together?"

"Yes, Dylan too."

"Right," Volger said softly right before he absentmindedly bumped into a passerby. The bystander muttered something rude in Spanish and walked on; meanwhile, Volger offered a rather humble apology that went unnoticed by the pedestrian.

"It's very busy today," Alek said smugly. And it was indeed. Usually the streets were empty. This was the busiest Alek had ever seen the small, lifeless town. Carts and livestock huddled past the two. The Mexican heat made the already sweaty animals smell even worse. The sound of Spanish and domestic animals filled the air. But Alek picked up on something else not too far away, something more…familiar.

"Alek!" Volger said harshly pulling him behind a stack of wooden crates, not bothering to do it gently or acknowledge the guards. He practically threw him, and Alek stumbled precariously to the dirt. Volger's tall frame towered above him from the ground, casting a long dark shadow over the prince. The count peaked around the crates. Alek did the same.

"Germans!" Alek swore softly, realizing now what he had heard that was so familiar. There were four of them, dressed in the standard German airship uniform that the lower soldiers wore. The men were laughing and talking across the reddish-brown street. "I wonder what they are doing here. Does the Captain know? There must be a German airship nearby."

"Quiet!" Volger said harshly, although it was unlikely the men could hear them over the noisy crowd. "We should go back to the ship."

"No!" Alek grabbed the count's arm and held fast; Volger would like that, wouldn't he?

"We are not on holiday, Alek, this is serious!" Volger said firmly. "You can't just—"

"They are leaving!" Alek said quickly, pointing to where the soldiers once stood.

Volger frowned, "We should still go back."

Alek groaned and muttered a string of rude comments under his breath. It was clear the count was going to be difficult. Alek looked at the address for Los Anchos that Dylan had written on a piece of paper. The restaurant was close, and Alek was determined to get Vogler there! Like it or not, the man would have to bear this 'filthy town' a little longer.


	7. Chapter 7

Love and War

Chapter 7

Deryn peaked over her menu once again to see if there was any sign of Alek and Volger. _Where are they?_ She thought to herself, ignoring the two boffins who were sitting across the wooden table from her, laughing and talking rather loudly. She would listen to them every once in a while, until one of the two started to tell another Cambridge story that Deryn would only half understand and would then tune out in favor of the door or the menu.

The menu was in Spanish, but the language seemed simple enough. There were quite a few words that were similar to their English counterparts. Ordering a soup should be pretty easy, and after five minutes she was ready to order. The boffins, on the other hand, were obligated to discuss every item on the menu in great length.

"…it reminds me of the emus we encountered in Australia," Deryn heard Dr. Gartner. Dr. Barlow smiled as she perused the menu. Sensing yet another story about Australia, Deryn was about to tune out once again. At first their boffin tales were rather exciting, but after a while, they all seemed to run together. A middy can only take so much _Cambridge_ and _Australia_ and _emus_ and _kangaroos_ before going completely insane, enough already.

"I am not so sure about this tie anymore," Dr. Gartner said looking down at the dark green tie that hung from his neck. Dr. Barlow looked at the tie intently as if in deep thought. "Perhaps the light blue one would be more appropriate. I will need to switch it."

Deryn honestly couldn't see what was wrong with the tie he had on. But Dr. Gartner insisted that the blue one was the one he should have worn in the first place, because he was determined to make sure that Deryn went insane just in case his stories didn't do the trick. "Switch it, sir?" Deryn frowned slightly. "In the middle of a barking restaurant?"

"I always bring an extra tie with me, Mr. Sharp." He said standing up from the large round table. "Hold this for me, please," Dr. Gartner told Deryn before he handed her the light blue necktie. Deryn rolled her eyes; she was a soldier, not a clothing rack.

"I'm always prepared," the boffin announced proudly, as he untied the tie he was wearing. Deryn raised an eyebrow, and swore; this was all rather ridiculous. She had never met a man who obsessed over clothing like Dr. Gartner. And people always said that _girls_ spent most of their time fixating over their appearances. And to think Deryn had joined the army to get _away_ from all of this girly nonsense.

"You two will have to excuse me for a moment." Dr. Gartner held out his hand to Deryn, indicating for her to give him the tie he had so blatantly shoved into her hand only seconds ago. "Thank you," he smiled displaying a mouth full of pearly white teeth. Deryn smiled through the annoyance.

"Wow," Deryn said once he was completely out of sight, "he is a really good-looking fellow. Have you ever thought of him as more than just a friend, because you two are just perfect for each other? You have so much in common. You are both Darwinist, and fabricators, and…there is other stuff. You're two peas in a pod. You should make a move."

"A move?" Dr. Barlow laughed from behind a menu, "As if his wife needed another reason to hate me. And I could hardly imagine throwing myself at man."

"He's married," Deryn said slowly, making a mental note.

"His wife is pregnant with their fourth child, and besides Volger makes me quite happy." Deryn frowned as she sat back in her seat, trying to ignore the hidden implications of that statement. That will have to be fixed. "Most of the time anyway," Dr. Barlow added. "Other times I just want to strangle him."

"Well, I am happy for you."

"Are you now?" Dr. Barlow raised her eyebrow. Deryn shrugged.

"What can I say; I had a serious change of heart."

"Overnight? Yesterday, you seemed incredibly disturbed by the news."

"Well, I was at first, but then I got to talking with Alek—"

"Alek?" the woman's eyes widened.

"Aye, he—"

"You told Alek!" Deryn blinked, taking in Dr. Barlow's angry glare.

"No, he already knew," Deryn said trying to calm the woman down.

"So he knew how I felt about the count?"

Deryn thought for a moment, she might have let that part slip. But Alek had already known half the story. "Well, he may not have known that bit. But Alek won't tell! Not a soul."

"That is beside the point. Honestly, Dylan! I expected more from you. I told you that in confidence. I don't go around telling everyone _your_ secret!"

"What?" Deryn's body stiffened. "I have no clue what you are talking about," Deryn said calmly, making sure to use her boy's voice.

"Oh, don't play dumb, Mr. Sharp. I know you have not been entirely honest with me."

Deryn's eyes expanded, and she nervously wiped her sweaty palms on her pants, letting out a sigh. Deryn leaned forward towards Dr. Barlow and softly said, "Ma'am I can explain—"

"No need to, it is none of my business."

Deryn raised a brow. "So you won't tell anyone that I am a girl?"

Dr. Barlow gazed her up and down quizzically, "'_A girl_,'" she said softly musing under her breath, "of course, that makes sense."

"Wait," Deryn said backtracking, realizing that she might have made a mistake. "What did you think I was talking about?"

Dr. Barlow was slightly amused by the recent revelation, a sentiment not shared by Deryn. "Well I had originally thought that you were a homosexual."

"You thought I liked boys? I mean, I do, but not _that way_."

"Well clearly," Dr. Barlow said as if she were in on the secret the entire time. "The way you interact with Alek and the way you just went on about Richard, you are always blushing around Alek, by the way. One would reasonably consider the possibility that you fancied the same gender. I am sure that, as a midshipman, you would not want the fact that you preferred boys to get around," the woman smiled and shook her head. "But now I see that all of that is because you are a girl." She let out a small laugh, "Why didn't I see it before?"

Deryn, however, still didn't see the humor in this. "Nobody can find out about this," she said bitterly.

"Of course not!" Dr. Barlow said curtly, as if she were somehow offended that Deryn would have to remind her. "Besides, it is nice knowing that there is another female around, even if she does look like a boy and wears baggy clothes."

Deryn rolled her eyes but managed a, "Thank you. And…I am sorry about what I told Alek." _Sort of_…

"Don't dwell on it," Dr. Barlow looked back down at her menu disinterestedly. "I will just bring it up every once in a while whenever situations present themselves and hold it against you." The woman let out a small teasing laugh, and Deryn took it as a sign of forgiveness, but she couldn't help but wonder whether or not Dr. Barlow was actually serious. "What is your name? I assume Dylan isn't your real name; unless your parents are even more eccentric than I previously imagined."

"Nope, just reasonably eccentric." Deryn shook Dr. Barlow's hand, "Deryn, Deryn Sharp."

"That isn't much of a stretch I suppose." The woman smiled, "It isn't easy being a female, is it? It always seems as though we have to work twice as hard." Deryn nodded her head slowly, letting out a breath of air. At least she didn't have to hide from Dr. Barlow anymore. "Does anyone else know?" the lady boffin asked.

"I have been really careful!" Deryn said defensively before continuing, it was annoying having been revealed in such a careless manner. "Volger knows," she said ruefully, standing the hairs on her body on end.

"Volger?" Dr. Barlow raised a brow, "He never mentioned this to me."

"The only reason he hasn't told anyone is because he wants to blackmail me, so he can control me," Deryn said with acid in her voice. That count was always scheming. "Your boyfriend is ruthless."

Dr. Barlow smiled pleasantly and tilted her head. "He's misunderstood," she said simply.

Deryn shook her head; the lady boffin had clearly lost it. "I am surprised he didn't tell _you_, though. I mean, certainly you would be more important to him than everyone else on the ship." Deryn said. "I would have thought that you were an exception. But apparently not, interesting, maybe he doesn't trust you."

"Of course he trusts me!" Dr. Barlow said defensively, "Why wouldn't he trust me?"

Deryn shrugged. "Well you are a Darwin, the embodiment of everything the Clankers were brought up to hate."

"Yes, yes, yes, but we are over that," Dr. Barlow said rolling her eyes, and sounding more irked than angry.

"It's something that isn't easy to get over. But, I am just going to mind my own sodding business. I mean, you two clearly like one another. Well…" Deryn paused for a moment.

"Well what?" Dr. Barlow asked curiously.

"Well, I mean Alek talked to Volger about what happened that night."

Dr. Barlow put her hand on her forehead, exasperated. "Brilliant."

"Anyway, Alek asked him if he had feelings for you. And I hate to say it, but Volger said _no_."

The woman glared at Deryn for what seemed like hours, "I find that _very_ hard to believe."

Deryn shrugged, "I mean, perhaps he told you otherwise," she said, casually. "I am just reporting what Alek told me. But you know, as a girl myself, I would hate it if I were in love with someone and he didn't feel the same way back." Deryn paused for a moment, blisters that sounded a lot like her and Alek. But then again, there was the whole bloody gender issue, which was another can of glow worms that Deryn didn't want to deal with at the moment. "Especially if I, well you know, spent the night with him. That would be terrible. I'd feel kind of _used_. Aye, but that's just me."

Dr. Barlow looked at her coolly, "What are you implying, Mr. Sharp?"

"I just think your relationship is sort of a one-way thing. That is what it sounds like to me anyway. But again, maybe he told you otherwise. Did he?"

The woman blinked, "Not in any particular words."

"Oh," Deryn said softly.

"But he is not using me!" Dr. Barlow said sharply, "You must have fallen and hit your head. You do not seriously think that I am the sort of woman to be manipulated like that."

"Of course not," Deryn said swiftly. "You're a clever-boots, you are above being manipulated. You're too good for that."

"I am."

"Exactly," she shrugged, and gave the woman a cocky smile. "And as far as manipulation goes, it's not like he's _good _at it or anything. Oh, wait…"

Dr. Barlow just sat in silence for a moment, which was saying a lot. She opened her mouth a few times, as if she were about to say something, but nothing intelligible came out. "But…why would he do that?" she managed to say.

"Men are only after one thing at least that is what my da always told me. Even the really uppity ones, have this caveman like instinct. You know, you're a Darwin or whatnot. And like I said before, Volger is ruthless."

"Okay, that's better," Dr. Gartner said returning abruptly and wearing a light blue tie. Dr. Gartner was a decent guy and all, but he seemed a little over-the-top when it came to his appearance.

"Indeed," Dr. Barlow said cheerfully as she got up and adjusted his tie.

"Crisis averted." Dr. Gartner let out a sigh of relief.

"The world can sleep soundly tonight," Deryn said dryly, Dr. Gartner ignored her. Just then, Deryn heard the bell hanging from the front door ring and in walked Alek and Volger. Deryn gave them a wave, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by the two boffins.

Dr. Barlow's eyes widened a squick, and she released Dr. Gartner's tie angrily. "Fancy running into you two here," Deryn said as the Clankers walked over to them, took 'em bloody long enough.

"You're Archduke Ferdinand's son!" Dr. Gartner said enthusiastically, and loudly, pointing a long finger at Alek. Deryn pulled his arm away, no need to draw attention to the boy. A few people gave them some rather intrigued looks. Fortunately, the restaurant was pretty empty, and those who were there didn't seem to comprehend the English.

Alek froze and nodded nervously.

"Yes, but it is not something we go around telling people," Volger glared at the man, "Let's stick with first names, shall we?" If there was a silver lining in this initial encounter, and with any luck, at least Dr. Gartner left a bad first impression on Volger.

"Right, sorry," Dr. Gartner reddened.

"This is Dr. Richard Gartner." Dr. Barlow gestured to the male boffin, "Richard, this is Alek as I am sure you already know," she continued. And letting out a small sigh she added, "And his fencing teacher," the woman said, as if an afterthought.

Volger looked at Dr. Barlow, "_Count Volger_," he said evenly.

"I'm aware," Dr. Barlow replied.

"It's very nice to meet you," Dr. Gartner said, clearly oblivious to the cold exchange.

"It's nice to meet you too," Volger ripped his attention away from the lady boffin, and offered Dr. Gartner his hand to shake.

"Oh," Dr. Gartner looked skeptically down at the count's hand. "I don't know where your hands have been." Volger frowned and cocked his head. "No offense," Dr. Gartner smiled charmingly. "If we were in the lab it would be different."

"That makes no sense," Volger said in a low serene voice.

"Well, you see it's sterile," Dr. Gartner said in a matter-of-fact way. "It's a controlled environment, no germs."

"Only if you assume that every outsider who enters the premises is impeccably clean, which I highly doubt." Volger moved his offered hand closer to the male boffin, as if nagging him on; Dr. Gartner seemed nauseous just looking at it.

"Yeah well, it's just you're a Clanker, who knows where your hands have been." Dr. Gartner frowned apologetically and put his hands protectively into his pockets. "Sorry."

Volger followed the gesture, and retracted his hand, defeated, which left Deryn with more than a little satisfaction. "A little engine grease never hurt anyone," Volger said. Deryn smiled. Volger was always the first to complain about how dirty engine duty was. But Deryn had to admit that she was disappointed when the exchanged ended, she was rather enjoying their tense banter.

"So, Doctor, I can't say Nora has mentioned you." Volger said glancing suspiciously at Dr. Barlow.

"I can't say she's mentioned you either," Dr. Gartner shrugged.

"Really?" Volger said eyes still lingering on the lady boffin.

"It never really crossed my mind," Dr. Barlow said to the count. But of course Deryn couldn't help but pick up on the venomous tint to her voice, and there was no doubt in Deryn's mind that Volger picked up on it as well. "I have other things to talk about."

"How do you two know each other?" Volger asked.

"I've known Nora for longer than I can remember." Dr. Gartner smiled, "I first met her during my Cambridge days. We were both students, and we became close friends." He laughed and said, "She actually straightened me out, I was pretty wild before I met her. But I won't get into that," he blushed.

"Tell him about the emus you and Dr. Barlow encountered in Australia," Deryn said.

"Oh wow," Dr. Gartner mused, and was prepared to run his fingers through his hair, but then thought otherwise for the sake of vanity. "Where do I start? We had so many interesting experiences. We spent a lot of time on a conservation where we studied and observed the emus along with many other varieties of Australian wildlife in their natural habitat. It was a lot of fun. The eggs the emus lay have this gorgeous blue hue to them. And on our first day we had the opportunity to see a few baby emus hatch, messy little blighters." Dr. Barlow smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "But they were cute," Dr. Gartner assured everyone.

"That's interesting," Volger said lightly, although Deryn doubted that the statement was genuine, "when Alek's father was still alive, he and I used to spend quite a bit of time in Australia. We encountered quite a few emus."

"They're fascinating creatures."

"And they make excellent trophies," the count said simply. Dr. Barlow blanched and glared daggers into Volger. The count looked at her innocently, but that was the one ruse that the man seemed as if he couldn't quite pull off. Judging by his stoic appearance afterwards, she reckoned he quickly gave up on the disguise.

This plan was easier than she initially thought. And who knew it would be this much fun. Deryn looked at Alek to see if he were enjoying this as much as she was. He was. Alek was desperately trying to hide a smile.

"Um…pardon me?" Dr. Gartner asked sheepishly.

"Emus, kangaroos, didn't matter; _we shot it_," Volger smirked, "good sport."

"And you're proud of this?" Dr. Barlow asked, shocked and perturbed.

"Of course, it was one of my best hunts." Volger smiled, in a way that made even Deryn a little peeved. She was enjoying this exchange a few seconds ago, but the very thought of joyfully slaughtering beasties did seem a bit callous, even for him.

"That is barbaric," Dr. Barlow said tersely, no doubt offended that he would even bring up such a thing. Deryn's grin returned.

"Right, and splicing animals together and using them as weapons of war is perfectly acceptable."

"That is entirely different!" Dr. Barlow said briskly in an icy tone that seemed to take Dr. Gartner by surprise. "You kill animals simply for the joy of it. What we do, however, does not involve the senseless slaughter of animals. It is not for sport, there is a difference."

"If that is what you need to tell yourself."

"That is a fact. And anyway you are not in a position to lecture me on morals. I'm not the one who blackmails children." Deryn's grin faded quickly, she didn't know what was more annoying, being called a child or being dragged into this discussion.

"Wait, what is she talking about?" Alek asked suddenly.

Volger's eyes drifted over to Deryn. "Nothing," he replied disinterestedly, leaving the prince terribly confused. "I wouldn't put it past you, though," Volger said looking back at Dr. Barlow.

"I would never do anything so detestable!" she said. "Unlike you—"

"You seem to think that you are above me when it comes to ethics, when in all honesty anything questionable I would do, you would certainly do, as well. I don't blame you though. Sometimes these things aren't always clearly defined, especially in wartime."

"How dare you—"

"Nora—"

"Stop interrupting me!" The woman spat, "How dare you! You obviously know absolutely nothing about me! Who are you to question my ethics or to toss around wild accusations? You're the one who seems to think that it is okay to blackmail a child, while I am the one reprimanding it. So I would certainly say that you are much more corrupt than me. So what gives you the right to tell me what I would do or what is right and wrong."

The count watched her silently and intently for a minute. "If you were in my situation, you would have done _exactly_ the same thing," Volger said in a low, harsh whisper. "You never cease to amaze me," Volger said with a smug expression on his face. "Again, you have this notion in your head that you are somehow more blameless that me, when actually, you do not differ much from me when it comes to principles."

Dr. Barlow scoffed, "How is that?" she said derisively.

"Well I believe that what occurred the other night is one example that proves my point." The woman's eyes narrowed to mere slits, "I have more evidence as well." Volger said.

"You know what," Dr. Barlow said calmly, "I think you have overstayed your welcome. Perhaps it would be best if you were to leave. You clearly cannot have a civil conversation with an adult without turning it into a duel."

"You are always so dramatic, Nora," Volger said with an amused look on his face.

"_I'm_ being dramatic!" She said indignantly. Deryn looked around; they were drawing a lot of attention. "You are offending my friend, you're being rude and all for no apparent reason! Yet, _I'm_ the one being dramatic?"

"I'm not the one making a scene."

"Oh, who do you think you are?" Dr. Barlow drove her finger into Volger's chest, "How is it that you are never the one at fault? You are incredibly self-righteous when one can reasonably argue that you were the one who initiated this quarrel."

"If I could just interrupt," Dr. Gartner said abruptly, trying to ease the tension but failing miserably. "Maybe it would be best if we were to part here. It was nice to meet you two."

"Of course, it was," Volger said arrogantly and reached out for Dr. Gartner's wrist. In one smooth move, he grabbed the unsuspecting Dr. Gartner's hand using both of his, and shook it slowly. The boffin quivered slightly as his face turned an odd shade of green. And with a self-satisfied smile Volger said, "It's nice to meet you too."


	8. Chapter 8

Love and War

Chapter 8

"Was lunch with the boffins as bad as I imagined it?" Newkirk asked Deryn as they ascended the ratlines.

"It was terrible," Deryn responded, "they just sat around and _talked_." Newkirk rolled his eyes, and a broad smile crept across Deryn's face, "Aye, you would have _hated_ it."

Newkirk stuck his tongue out at her. "Well, while you were having tea with hoity and toity, I had real work to do!"

"But you really wouldn't have liked it anyway."

"Why do you say that?"

Deryn stopped climbing, and hung on to the ropes, "Well…" she hesitated, "I probably shouldn't tell you."

"Well now you _must_ tell me," Newkirk prodded her.

Deryn smiled slyly, "Have you noticed the way Dr. Gartner and Dr. Barlow treat each other?" Newkirk shook his head slowly. Of course, he hadn't. "Well, at the restaurant they seemed really affectionate."

"Affectionate?"

"Newkirk, I think there is something going on between them. You know, like romantically."

Dr. Barlow might not have wanted anybody to know about her and Volger, but she said nothing about Dr. Gartner. Even if Deryn may have stretched the truth just a wee bit.

Newkirk's eyes widened, "Barking spiders, really?"

"Aye, I thought they were going to start kissing right in front of me."

"Sharp, Newkirk!" Mr. Rigby called from above, "Are you climbing or playing patty-cake?"

The middies quickly climbed up to the topside, and it didn't take Newkirk long to announce, "Dr. Barlow has a lover!"

"Oh," Mr. Rigby said coolly. "You're a little slow, mate. Only everybody is talking about it. You know how rumors spread."

"Well, since everyone is talking about it," Deryn chimed in, "it must be true." Newkirk nodded in agreement.

"Not necessarily," Mr. Rigby said. "I'm not sure if I believe that. Why would anyone get involved with her?"

"She's barking smart."

"She annoying, and never shuts up." Mr. Rigby said, "But, to each his own I suppose."

* * *

><p>"That should do it," Dr. Busk said as he wrapped a piece of gauze around Mr. Rigby's hand. Rigby was a gifted soldier, but his trips to the infirmary were oddly frequent. He was always coming in with broken limbs, and slashes in the flesh, and currently, blisters on his palm.<p>

"Thanks a lot," Mr. Rigby said examining his wrapped left hand. "Hey did you hear about Dr. Barlow and her new boffin friend, Dr. Gartner? Apparently they're a couple. Can you believe that?"

"Well if this Dr. Gartner hadn't picked her up, then I sure would have…eventually."

"Um sure," Mr. Rigby frowned.

* * *

><p>Dr. Busk was in no way a gossip. He simply enjoyed talking about the personal matters of his fellow crewmen. Whether or not those personal matters were fact or fiction remained in question. But he was <em>not<em> a gossip.

"Did you hear about Dr. Barlow?" Dr. Busk asked Dr. Erasmus who was sitting across from him.

Dr. Erasmus took a sip of his coffee and then placed it next to a recently dead message lizard that sat on the coffee table. It was a rather annoying habit, leaving dead lizards around. Dr. Busk, like any Darwinist, liked beasties just as much as the boffins. But even he wouldn't want a dead beastie lying lifelessly on a table where he happened to be eating.

"What about her?" Dr. Erasmus asked as his adjusted his round glasses.

"Well, you know I am not one to gossip, but apparently the woman has a male friend that she is romantically linked to and his name is Dr. Gartner."

"That sounds familiar," Dr. Erasmus said. "But wait a minute, last time I checked, he was married."

"We are men! Are you telling me, you never look elsewhere for female companionship?"

"I love my wife very much!" Dr. Erasmus said defensively.

"That doesn't answer the question," Busk quickly pointed out. Dr. Erasmus glared at him.

"Excuse me, please," Dr. Erasmus said getting up with his coffee and lizard in hand. He then walked off furiously.

"It was just a question!" Dr. Busk called after him.

* * *

><p>Dr. Erasmus squeezed his hand through the message tube, trying to wiggle a lizard free. Daft beastie curled up into a ball and got caught in the message tube.<p>

"How's it going there?" Dr. Erasmus felt Captain Hobbes say before the captain's heavy hand slapped him on the back—_hard_. Dr. Erasmus winced and fell forward a little before regaining his balance.

"It's really jammed in there, sir," Dr. Erasmus said.

"You can fix it," the captain said frivolously.

"Yeah well, we will see. Say, did you hear about Dr. Barlow?"

Captain Hobbes sighed, "What did that woman do this time?"

"Well, I do not know the details, but she is romantically involved with another boffin, Dr. Gartner, who may or may not be married."

Hobbes' eyes widened, "You can't be serious."

"No, it's true. Everybody is talking about it. Apparently they are very close and very much in love."

The captain let out a small laugh, "Oh my, that poor guy. I always said that I'd feel sorry for the unfortunate bloke who ended up with her. It wouldn't have surprised me if her first husband decided to jump off the London Bridge to get away."

"That's a terrible thing to say," Dr. Erasmus said.

Captain Hobbes shrugged. "Trust me; I have seen my fair share of beautiful and deadly women. Barlow is no different; reminds me of my ex-wife, lost a fortune thanks to her, and a pair of well-tailored pants."

"What if the man is truly in love with her?" Hobbes laughed and walked off. "Nevermind."

* * *

><p>"Water?" Captain Hobbes asked Mr. Hurst. He motioned for the engineer to take a seat in front of his desk.<p>

"No thank you," Hurst shook his head.

"Scotch?"

Hurst stared at the captain, his face spotted with engine grease, "Yes, sir," he nodded.

"Alright, good on you mate," Captain Hobbes laughed, and opened a brown box full of cigars after he poured two small glasses of scotch. "Have a cigar while you are at it."

"I don't smoke," Hurst objected. Hobbes looked at him skeptically, and then the engineer sighed. "Fine," he said.

Hobbes smiled, "How are the Clankers working out?" Captain Hobbes asked as he lit a cigar and handed it to Hurst, and then he lit his own.

"They are good, but I don't trust them. Especially that count, he always seems to have a hidden agenda."

Captain Hobbes laughed, "Yeah, well, say…did you hear about Dr. Barlow and her male companion." Hurst shook his head. "Apparently, she is always spending time with this Dr. Gartner, a boffin, and they are somehow involved romantically."

"Oh wow. Is it serious?"

"As far as I know." Captain Hobbes let out a chuckle and shook his head. "You have to wonder how desperate this guy is," Hobbes said taking a drag of his cigar. "But really, I do wish them luck. Lord knows they'll need it."

* * *

><p>Alek stared at Mr. Hurst through his piloting goggles. The man stared back blankly; he always seemed to have a scowl on his face. "What?" Hurst said harshly.<p>

"Nothing," Alek said, "It's a beautiful night. Nice and clear." It was a stark contrast to the loud noise and smoke that the engines gave off.

Mr. Hurst blinked. "Get back to work," he frowned.

"Told you," Hoffman whispered to Alek in German. "You can't get him to smile."

"Tomorrow then," Alek shrugged, "Did you hear about Dr. Barlow?" Alek asked Hoffman.

"No, what about her?"

"Dr. Barlow is romantically involved with another boffin named Dr. Gartner. They are crazy in love with one another."

"What are you two gabbing about?" Hurst interrupted.

"About Dr. Barlow and Dr. Gartner," Alek answered eagerly.

"Oh, I heard what's going on with them."

"Exactly," Alek pointed at the man, "everyone is talking about it, so it must be true."

"Makes sense," Hurst stroked his chin and smiled for what could have been the first time. But the smile quickly disappeared, "Get back to work!"

* * *

><p>"Did you two hear about Dr. Barlow?" Hoffman said as he sat down next to Otto Klopp and Corporal Bauer.<p>

"I rarely hear anything about her," Klopp said as he filled his mouth with green tea.

"She's very secretive," Bauer said.

"Well I don't know how long that will last," Hoffman said, "because the news around the ship is that the woman is romantically involved with some other fabricator, like herself, his name is Dr. Gartner. They're madly in love."

"Doesn't surprise me," Klopp shrugged, "she is pretty woman, and it was only a matter of time before some Darwinist man snatched her up. If only she didn't create these awful beasts."

"Yeah, but we don't even know if it is true." Bauer said, "I don't think she would tell anyone even if it were; you know since she is so secretive. I bet she wouldn't appreciate people talking about her private life."

"That ship has sailed, my friend," Hoffman said. "Everybody is talking about it, so it really isn't 'p_rivate_' anymore. But if it bothers you, then you didn't hear anything about Dr. Barlow."

* * *

><p>"You never listen to me, you know," Otto sighed and rubbed his head, frustrated after arguing for the past twenty minutes. Sometimes it was just hard to get through to the stubborn count. "The plan will work," Klopp said slowly after he calmed himself down. "It's the perfect plan for escape."<p>

Volger looked thoughtfully at the mechanic, "Very well." Satisfied, Klopp smiled and stood up straight. He knew his plan would work. It had to, because if it failed, Volger would never let him live it down.

"We're done here," Volger said dismissively, and shooed him away with his hand, or so he tried. Klopp rolled his eyes. He didn't move, and instead sat down in front of the count's desk, just to annoy Volger. Klopp made himself comfortable, and crossed his legs. Volger looked up from a rather dusty old book, clearly extremely irritated that Klopp was still there.

"Lovely weather," Klopp said casually. Volger looked at the man, no doubt wondering why the mechanic hadn't left as of yet.

"It's too hot," Volger said brusquely, and then looked back down at his book, obviously trying to ignore Klopp.

But the mechanic didn't plan on moving anytime soon. "Did you hear about Dr. Barlow?"

Volger suddenly closed the book and raised one of his dark eyebrows, "What about her?" He said looking intensely at Klopp.

"Actually, this probably won't interest you. But the woman is apparently in a romantic relationship with some other fabricator."

Volger sat back in his chair, "Dr. Gartner?"

Klopp's mouth widened a little from the shock; he hadn't expected the count to know that. And here he thought Volger was unsociable, taciturn and well..._Volger_ "That's right," Klopp smiled, and Volger stared at him silently with a vague expression on his face. "I didn't know you paid attention to the social interactions on the ship. Well, I guess _everyone_ knows. How did you hear?" Klopp asked curiously, but Volger didn't seem to respond, and his countenance didn't change. This lasted a respectable minute before Klopp finally said, "Volger?"

"What else did you hear?" The count said abruptly.

"So _now_ you want to listen to me?" Klopp said cynically.

"Just tell me," Volger said calmly, nevertheless Klopp could sense the anger in his voice. But Otto shrugged it off.

"Nothing else, that's it," Volger seemed a lot more interested in this subject than Klopp had thought he would be. He didn't seem like the type of person who would take an interest in the lives of other people. "You are always talking to her, why don't you ask her in person?"

Volger frowned. Naturally, Klopp didn't _seriously_ expect him to ask her about it. "Yes, maybe I will."


	9. Chapter 9

Love and War

Chapter 9

Deryn Sharp was _not_ a morning person. But, unfortunately, Dr. Gartner was.

"So only two survived?" Dr. Gartner questioned the lady boffin; he held up Dr. Barlow's loris to his face for further examination. The beastie stared at the boffin with its large, wise eyes and a sour expression on its face. "How are you feeling this morning?" Dr. Gartner asked the creature happily.

"Cranky," the loris replied, because even it knew that no daftie should be so exuberant this early. Dr. Gartner laughed and handed it back to Dr. Barlow.

"Where is the other one?" Dr. Gartner asked.

"I'm not sure, I'm afraid," Dr. Barlow said thoughtfully, as the loris climbed onto her shoulder.

"Bovril is with Alek," Deryn told them.

"Bovril?" Dr. Gartner repeated with an utterly confused look on his face. "I'm afraid you have lost me."

"Aye, that is the name of the other loris. It wasn't my idea though!" Deryn said. "It was the barking Clankers!"

"I see," Dr. Gartner nodded slowly.

Deryn sighed; it was way too early to be giving tours to boffins, she thought as they continued to walk down a semi crowded hallway. Fellow crewmen passed them as they strolled and cast fleeting glances at their small group, and more specifically, at the boffins. They then would smile or whisper to a fellow soldier, many times both.

"That is odd," Dr. Barlow remarked. "Everyone seems to be staring."

Dr. Gartner nodded and shrugged, "They are not talking about us, are they?"

"I haven't the slightest idea," Deryn lied easily enough. She conveniently left out the part about how she and Alek had started a rumor about them, and now the whole barking ship was talking about the 'charming couple'. Good thing Newkirk was such a blabber mouth.

Telling Newkirk was a rather spontaneous maneuver, and Deryn marveled at her quick-wit. She told Alek what had happened not too long afterwards, and he agreed to spread the lie along with her, no questions asked because that was what being friends involved. Friends worked together to achieve a common goal, in this case, breaking up Count Volger and Dr. Barlow. And if that meant spreading false rumors in order to make Volger jealous and resentful, then so be it.

But the best part of this whole experience was that she and Alek were doing it together, and in some strange way, it seemed to be bringing them closer together.

Dr. Gartner chuckled as the three of them turned a corner only to run headlong into Alek and Volger. "_Mr_. Sharp," Bovril said from Alek's shoulder.

"So there's the other loris!" Dr. Gartner exclaimed.

Alek nodded, "Good morning," he then added pleasantly. It was a blatant contrast to Volger's reaction that simply included pushing pass them without so much as a word and going on his way.

"That was rude," Dr. Barlow commented, as she turned to watch Volger descend the hall. Only seconds later, the count disappeared into his stateroom, and viciously swung the door closed behind him. A deafening slam echoed through the hall, and everyone stopped and turned towards the direction of Volger's door.

"I have to go," Alek said apologetically. "He's not a morning person."

"Morning," Bovril said cheerfully while Alek went around the group and ran after his fencing instructor.

"That was uncalled for." Dr. Barlow said, "Slamming the door is rather childish, is it not? What is he five?

"Five," the loris repeated.

"No respect," Deryn said casually. "And don't even get me started on the anger issues he has. That's not very attractive."


	10. Chapter 10

Love and War

Chapter 10

"Volger, we need to talk," Alek said vehemently as he entered the stateroom of his fencing master with Bovril in tow.

Volger leaned back on the front of his desk visibly agitated, and not wanting to be bothered by adolescent princes and perspicacious fabrications. But Alek stayed regardless. "This is not a good time," Volger said, rubbing his forehead; he appeared quite tired.

"Do you want to explain to me what happened out there?" Alek asked seriously, even though he was well aware of the situation, and was quite pleased with the count's reaction to the Darwinists. Not bad for an encounter with Dylan and the fabricators that hadn't been planned.

"I wish I had handled that better."

"You were upset. Your reaction was perfectly reasonable," Alek stated plainly. "And I will tell you why. I do not like the way Dr. Barlow has been treating you." Alek came closer to the count, bridging the gap between them, "Let me give you a little advice about women."

Volger let out a small half-hearted laugh, "And how many women have you been with, Your Highness?"

"That's beside the point," Alek said quickly. "I just think it's time you put your foot down. Dr. Barlow has been treating you like crap. I mean, have you heard about her and that Dr. Gartner?"

"Things get around."

"Everyone is talking about it, Volger. Honestly, who does she think she is? Flaunting around this other man she is with, when she is supposed to be with you in some way or another. She has been nothing but rude and disrespectful to you. You should remind her that _you_ wear the pants. You don't want a woman who is going to slap you around and treat you like a piece of meat which she clearly does. You deserve better. And that is why you should break it off with her."

Volger remained silent, as if pondering the matter thoroughly. To Alek it was basic math. "I know I should break it off," he said finally.

"Good," Alek smiled, both from relief and satisfaction. "So the next time you see her, tell her that it's over."

"Yes, well, it's slightly more complicated than that," Volger said sounding terribly conflicted and simultaneously ripping Alek's victory away. "Much more complicated than I would have liked, or even expected."

Out of nowhere, Bovril began to giggle madly, and Alek shushed the creature. And after a short delay, it piped down but with a sly smile on its face. Alek hardly found this funny; anger and disappointment reared their ugly heads once more. "'Complicated'?" Alek repeated, frustrated, "I don't understand, how so?"

"It doesn't matter," Volger said superficially before looking away. "Forget I mentioned it."

Alek groaned, it was always like this, Volger keeping him in the dark and feeding him cryptic clues. "What do you mean it doesn't matter? You just told me it was complicated, that has to mean something significant."

"We plan on escaping tomorrow night," Volger stated plainly.

"What?" Alek said slowly, wouldn't that make it simpler? Once they were gone he would no longer have dealings with Dr. Barlow. "_Escape_," Alek said softly as if just realizing what the word truly meant.

And suddenly a large hole formed in his chest. He supposed he should be happy and willing to leave. He wasn't exactly welcomed here; Alek and his crew were prisoners after all. But escaping would also mean leaving behind his best friend. And that was something he was not thrilled about. "Oh."

"So you see, after tomorrow night it is unlikely that either of us will see Dr. Barlow again."

Alek nodded though the woman was the last person on his mind. "We are leaving so soon," Alek said gloomily. "I'll never see Dyl—" he started but then stopped himself at the last second. But it was already too late.

"Oh, Alek," Volger spat, his voice dripping with indignation. "You cannot want to stay a _prisoner_ on this ship simply for some lowly midshipman."

"He isn't just some midshipman, Volger. He's my friend. The only friend I have. But I don't expect you to understand that."

"Alek," Volger said firmly, but his tone was surprisingly free of sarcasm or spite, "The Darwinists are not your allies, they are the enemy. You cannot get attached to these people, trust me. This is wartime; you do know that there is a war going on, correct?" Alek nodded dejectedly. "You have a duty, and you cannot afford to let anything get in the way of that."

Alek knew that Volger was probably right, nonetheless he couldn't help but feel a little saddened. "But Dylan has proved to be more of a friend than those who are supposed to be our allies."

Before Volger could return with a scathing comment, there was a firm knock on the door. "We are not going to be here much longer," Volger said determinedly before opening the door. "Dr. Barlow?" Volger said, his voice brimming with curiosity.

"You seem surprised to see me," the woman replied casually. Behind her, Alek could see Dylan and that other boffin in the hallway. "Can you give us a moment, Alek? I would like to talk to Volger." Volger said something unpleasant under his breath. "Alone," Dr. Barlow added resolutely.

Alek shot a look at Dylan. "Sure," Alek said slowly as he exited the room. But not before whispering, "Wear the pants," to Volger.

The door then shut behind him, and that was Alek and Dylan's cue to press their ears to the door and listen in on the conversation on the other side.

"Eavesdropping is rude," Dr. Gartner objected, but they both shushed the man. How were they supposed to hear anything if he kept talking?

"What was that all about?" Alek heard Dr. Barlow say heatedly on the other side of the door.

"Pardon me?" He then heard Volger's voice.

"You know very well what I am talking about, your little tantrum."

"I wouldn't call it a tantrum."

"What would you call it then?"

"An incident. It's these flimsy Darwinist doors, they are very delicate. The slightest push or pull sends the doors flying open and closed. You Brits should get something a little sturdier."

Alek dropped down to the keyhole and peered through to see if he could see what was going on inside. He could barely make out Volger's face and lean form; most of his vision was distorted by Dr. Barlow's scarlet colored skirt.

"It wasn't the door," he heard the woman say.

"I am not so sure."

"You cannot be serious."

"I am always serious."

"Is that so? Frankly, your behavior as of late has said otherwise."

"_My_ behavior?" Volger sneered.

"Yes, that's right."

For a moment, Alek could see nothing but red from Dr. Barlow's skirt. But then, with a sudden swoosh of color he was able to make out Volger's form once again.

"Well, allow me to apologize, Your Majesty for not behaving in a way that you see fit," Volger made a mocking show of bowing. Alek's mouth sprang into a slight grin.

"Amusing." Dr. Barlow said briskly. "I am quite serious. You have been nothing but rude, and disrespectful to me and my friend."

"Perhaps you haven't noticed this, but I am not exactly the most pleasant person you will ever meet. At least, that is what people tend to think."

Dr. Barlow let out a scornful laugh, "Oh trust me, I am well aware of your manners. But what happened out there was unfriendly even by your standards."

"How would you have liked me to react; with the same hallowed reverence that all of you Darwinist place on fabricators?"

"That would have been perfectly acceptable. But I know I would never get that from you. So a 'hello' would have sufficed."

"I will keep that in mind next time."

"_I_ will take that as an apology."

"Take that however you like, it doesn't matter anymore really."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Volger sighed, "We plan on escaping tomorrow night; I am sure you will be happy to learn that we are leaving. I will no longer get the opportunity to embarrass you in front of your dear friend."

"You are leaving?" The woman echoed softly.

"That's right."

"And when were you planning on telling me this?"

"I am telling you now."

There was a rather awkward pause that followed, "So, that's it?" Dr. Barlow said.

"That's it." Volger nodded, "What else is there?"

"Nothing," she said coolly.

"Good." Alek squinted as he saw Dr. Barlow walk over to Volger and hold out her hand. Volger fixed his eyes on her small porcelain hand for a moment before shaking it firmly. "It was very nice to meet you," he said naturally. "And I apologize if I came across as rude earlier."

"You did, but it was very nice to meet you as well." Alek couldn't help but notice that this was an unusually long handshake. Hence it sort of surprised him when it finally ended.

"Goodbye," he heard Volger say despite his voice being barely audible all of a sudden. After nodding her head once, Dr. Barlow headed towards the door.

"She's coming," Alek warned, tearing his head away from the door. But it was too late. The door opened, and the two boys fell through the doorway. Bovril chuckled as he skidded across the floor after falling from Alek's shoulder.

Alek guiltily looked up at the count who didn't seem to react to the situation. Volger just seemed a little…_lost,_ something the man was desperately trying to hide.

Meanwhile, Dr. Barlow glared at the pair. "Excuse me, gentlemen," she said stepping over them. Once she was back in the hallway, she snapped her fingers at Dylan. "Come on, Dylan, get up," she said. "It's not likely you broke a bone."

The middy groaned before getting back onto his feet, and Alek could not help but laugh a little. And he enjoyed this moment of laugher at his friend's expense, knowing exceedingly well that their time together was dwindling.


	11. Chapter 11

**I am so sorry that I haven't updated in weeks. I was just extremely busy. As much as I love my obsession with this series, it has the tendency to be counterproductive in real life. Yes, shocking I know. I am sorry for the delay.**

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><p><span>Love and War<span>

Chapter 11

Obviously, neither Dr. Barlow nor Dr. Gartner had ever seen a cactus before. Well, Deryn hadn't exactly seen a cactus before herself, not in person anyway. They didn't exactly grow in Britain, but that was beside the point. Deryn sat on a rock a few feet away from them, watching the two boffins stare intently at the dried plant, taking notes, and in deep conversation. They had been there for the past two hours, leaving Deryn utterly out of the loop. She wasn't used to being a third wheel, and frankly, she didn't like it.

This of course meant that Deryn was left to watch their equipment and look after the beasties while roasting like a stuffed turkey on Christmas Day. And the bandages holding her chest down certainly didn't help cool her off.

A blinding white sun was set high in the sky, taunting her, glowing angrily, and there wasn't a cloud in sight to block out the sun's burning vibrant waves. It was a far cry from Glasgow.

Bovril was perched on Deryn's shoulder, looking miserable in the scorching Mexican heat. The only one who seemed content was Tazza. He was perfectly fine with the temperature and used this opportunity to sniff out anything and everything, which was why he would disappear for short intervals.

The _Leviathan_ was hovering a few miles behind them. The only indication of which way was north. Besides the ship, the landscape was practically the same, nothing but cacti and large boulders. But Deryn could have sworn that she heard running water not too far from there, or maybe that was just her brain teasing her.

Perhaps the only good thing that the weather offered was that of a needed distraction from the thoughts swarming in her head, anything to get her mind off of Alek leaving her. And yet she was resolved that it was for the best. At least, that was what she tried to convince herself. Alek would be free, and Deryn could go back to being the dashing Dylan Sharp, no more of that strange mooning lassie that inhabited her body. Deryn didn't even know that girl. She'd forget about Alek in a squick, at least, that was what she tried to convince herself.

She felt Tazza's warm, wet tongue against her suntanned hand, and she looked down at the beastie. To Deryn's surprise the thylacine was soaking wet. There had to be water around here somewhere. "Where've you been?" Deryn asked, squinting as she glanced around.

Deryn looked back at the two boffins; they were too enthralled in their cactus to notice a missing middy. "I'm going to go explore," she said to neither boffin in particular. Dr. Barlow was the only one who glanced back at her.

"Perhaps, we should take another sample," Dr. Gartner said, stealing the woman's attention away from Deryn. Dr. Barlow smiled and turned back to Dr. Gartner and the cactus.

"Okay, then," Deryn said walking away slowly, she wouldn't be gone long. So with that thought crammed into her attic, and with Bovril still riding on her shoulder, Deryn took Tazza by his leash and started off in the opposite direction of the fabricators.

She didn't know how long she had walked before the landscape became greener. The excruciating heat seemed to warp time and space. It was probably daft, wandering the desert alone. Perhaps it was some primordial instinct that forced her to keep going towards the water. Whatever the cause, she just followed the sound of water. The sound became stronger with every step, so Deryn must have been headed in the right direction.

The ground cut off suddenly, and a few rocky feet below a stream carved its way through the mountainous terrain. A lifeline, in this deserted wasteland, and Deryn couldn't wait to get down there. She made her way down the rock face, careful of where she put her hands, and where she placed her steps until she made it to the side of the river. Bovril imitated the calm noise of the stream hurrying past and scurried into the shallow part of the water.

Deryn unbuttoned her shirt and unwrapped the bandages constraining her chest. There was no need to hide, and possibly pass out, when there wasn't anyone else around but the beasties who probably weren't as closed-minded as the humans. She took off her trousers and hurried into the cool, fresh water and just lay in the shallows, immensely comfortable, with the brisk breeze hitting her newly drenched skin.

The sun didn't bother her as much, and all seemed calm. So calm, in fact, that she had dozed off, and Bovril had to wake her with a splash. Deryn sat up quickly. _How long was I out?_ She asked the beastie. Deryn ran over to where she had left her trousers and took out a watch. "Blisters," she said anxiously, an hour had passed. No doubt, the boffins would be searching for Deryn right about now.

She headed back towards the river in order to retrieve the loris, and a thylacine that never seemed to run out of energy. But the wrong step changed everything, and before she realized it, the ground was breaking beneath her feet, and she went tumbling, and sliding down a steep slope. Light diminished as she fell deeper into a pit. Seconds later she came to an abrupt stop, and hit what looked like the floor of a cave with a thud.

Dust and debris clouded around Deryn, leaving her disorientated, and she struggled to breathe. She started coughing erratically as her body desperately tried to expel the dirt that had gotten inside her. As the cloud cleared, Deryn gaped at the light coming from the opening above; Deryn reckoned that she must have fallen at least fifteen feet.

Deryn stood up tentatively, taking in her surroundings. There was an enormous black opening to her left that could easily swallow up any sod daft enough to go any deeper into the cavern. She certainly didn't want to stick around this place.

Deryn looked for something that she could use to grab on to the slope, and climb out. But there was nothing, just loose dirt and thin twigs. Every futile attempt to climb out was ruined by her slipping on the loose surface and tumbling back into the whole. Deryn wished she had grabbed her pants before she fell, the rocks and twigs were doing a number on her legs.

"That's just brilliant," she whispered dryly. "Help!" she cried, hoping someone would hear her. However, it was unlikely seeing as how she was literally in the middle of nowhere.

"_Mr._ Sharp!" Deryn saw Bovril's head peaking over and into the pit.

"Bovril!" She yelled back, "I need help! Go get Dr. Barlow!" The beastie blinked, and then disappeared. And all she could do was hope that the loris was as clever as Dr. Barlow said it was.

Deryn sat down with her back to the dirt; something told her that she would be there for a while. She rubbed her hand on the ground; Deryn would probably die of boredom before anything else killed her. Something soft and firm caught her attention. Deryn looked down at her hand only to see that it was precariously rested on top of a large coiled snake. She froze, taking in the snake's form. It had a rather stunning set of copper colored scales, which sort of made you forget about the rattle that rested threateningly on the tip of the creature's tail. Deryn wondered how many lassies it had killed while they were busy gawking at how pretty it was.

Her heart began to beat faster, and she had to force herself to calm down. Fortunately for Deryn, the snake was sleeping soundly, and she didn't fancy waking it up from its catnap. Deryn carefully extracted her hand and put some distance between her and the serpent. She hadn't seen the snake earlier, seeing as how the beastie blended in so beautifully with its surroundings, just a reminder that Deryn was out of her element.

Deryn let out a tired breath; she hoped Bovril would return soon with the lady boffin. She didn't like being left alone with the deadly creature. But what if Bovril would never come back? Maybe some predator from the sky swiped it, or maybe the loris encountered a rattlesnake just like Deryn had.

"Dylan!" she heard someone say. That wasn't Dr. Barlow's voice. Deryn looked up, and just her luck, his princiliness was there. And there she was in a hole with nothing on but a wet shirt and her skivvies declaring that she was a girl like a giant electric sign. There was no way for her to hide her body. Deryn stared up at her friend, frozen with dismay. Apparently, Bovril thought that Dr. Barlow coming to help would have been far too convenient. Alek's eyes widened, from shock and horror no doubt, it was clear that he could see what was under her clothes, and what wasn't. He blushed and quickly looked away, "You're a girl!" he shouted. Blushing profusely, Deryn jolted out of her reverie, and closed her shirt to recover some decency. This wasn't going well at all.

The snake beside her stirred slightly. It probably wouldn't have hurt the two of them to be a little quieter. "Aye, say it a little louder, will ya?" she said motioning towards the ancient creature.

Alek followed her gaze; his face was still one of shock. "You're a girl," he whispered.

"_Mr._ Sharp," Bovril said quietly from his shoulder.

Deryn sighed, "I'll explain later," she said, "promise. Right now I just need your help…" Alek disappeared before she could continue. "Alek?" She said softly, her eyes widened a wee bit. He wouldn't leave her here, would he? Did he hate her that much? Would he actually let her die in this hole, just because he was mad and spiteful? Not Mr. Chivalry. But minutes came and went, and he hadn't returned. "Alek? Alek!" No answer. He hated her. She knew it.

"Traitor!" she cried too loudly, but she only realized this after it came out. Her hands swiftly went to cover her mouth as if it would take the words back. A rather futile attempt obviously, and it didn't take long for Deryn to hear the haunting sound of a baby's rattle. Of course, the source of this particular rattle wasn't nearly as harmless.

She turned to face the rattler. His small black eyes were glaring devilishly at her, like he had just grappled his way out of an abyss. "Calm down now, Beastie. I want me out of here just as much as you do."

She felt a light tap on her shoulder and looked up, and much to her relief Alek was there. A long vine hung from above. "I found this vine," Alek said calmly, "climb up."

With the snake still warning her eerily in the background, Deryn tightly seized hold of the vine and started up. She didn't get very far though; she immensely underestimated the length of this snake because, in mere seconds, it rocketed up and bit into her hand. Deryn felt the searing pain of iron hot sewing needles being hammered into her soft flesh. Deryn swore, and dropped the vine, falling onto her back. She groaned in pain as she firmly clutched her burning hand.

"Dylan, are you okay?" Alek cried, "Do you think you can tie the vine around you. I'll pull you up."

"Tie the vine," Bovril repeated, in the same concerned tone as Alek. Deryn's left hand felt as if it were stiffening quickly and her vision slowly began to blur. But with the right hand picking up the slack she managed to tie the vine around her waist. The vine became taut, and Deryn was quickly being lifted while she made sure to keep her limbs as far away from the serpent as possible.

Deryn eventually reached the top. Alek, careful of where he placed his hands, helped her over the edge where she then collapsed. "Hang on," Deryn heard Alek say; his voice sounded echoed. She felt him lift her limp body off of the ground, and that was all Deryn remembered before she blacked out.

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><p><strong>AN:** I was researching rattlesnakes online and found out that there is a rattlesnake island on Lake Erie. I found that fascinating since I am from exotic Ohio, the birthplace of aviation, and the lake isn't that far of a drive. Yet, I have no idea how long it would take to get to the island. Upon further research, I found that the island got its name from the rattlesnakes that used to inhabit the island, and the isle is shaped like a rattlesnake's tail.

My fascination quickly ended after learning that the island is not as romantic and adventurous as I had imagined. Now it is mainly a resort. It has swimming pools, and tennis courts and all that jazz. Plus, there are other islands with the same name. I didn't look at the others. My fascination was rekindled, however, when I realized that the island does have an exciting history.

When I was writing earlier chapters in this series, I was doing some research and typed, "venomous snakes in Mexico" into Google. But before I got to the word "Mexico," Google suggests "venomous snakes in Ohio." Apparently, that was more interesting, and I wasn't about to argue with Google. So recently, during my rattlesnake explorations, I found out that there are three species of venomous snakes in Ohio, two of which happen to be rattlesnakes. The Eastern Massauga and the Timber Rattlesnake both live in Ohio, and they both have rattles. The other one was the Northern copperhead. Contrary to popular belief, water moccasins do not naturally reside in Ohio.

Until now, I thought that rattlesnakes just lived in the desert, or where it is hot year-round. And if you are from the Midwest you know that that is _not_ the case here. Winters can be pretty hard. So during the winter, the snakes hibernate. Of course, that also means that they do not get to go sledding. Oh well, you can't have it both ways.


	12. Chapter 12

Love and War

Chapter 12

Deryn felt sore when she awoke. Her eyelids slowly parted from each other, and she slowly adjusted to her new surroundings. Death was a strange thing, quite dark, in fact. The sun had disappeared. It took her a moment to realize that she was under a large shady rock surrounded by desert brush. Her eyes darted back and forth, until they finally rested on Dr. Barlow. Maybe she wasn't dead. "You gave us quite the scare," the woman said disapprovingly.

Tazza came over and gave Deryn a wet kiss across the face causing the middy to smile. "You were worried, ma'am?"

"Certainly, you can't continue to assist me if you are dead."

Deryn rubbed her head and breathed deeply. Her sense of time was long gone. "How long was I out?"

"Just a few hours."

"'_Just_' a few hours?" Deryn said sitting up. She blushed and closed her shirt, remembering that she was practically naked and that Alek had seen her without her careful tailoring.

"Oh yes," Dr. Barlow smiled, "you may want to get dressed. And then perhaps, talk to Alek."

Well, that much was obvious. Once Deryn tried to move she noticed that her body still felt numb, especially her left hand and arm which made getting dress a little odd. But she managed.

After she had dressed, Deryn stepped out into the open where everyone was waiting for her. "How am I alive?" Deryn asked as she rubbed her hand.

Dr. Gartner scowled at her. "Honestly, what sort of boffin am I if I don't have antivenom in a place like this?"

"Right, of course," Deryn said. "Thanks."

Dr. Gartner smiled cheerfully, "Look familiar?" The man uncovered a jar with a copper colored snake inside. "_Crotalus scutulatus_ is its scientific name, but it is more commonly known as the Mohave rattlesnake. I do believe an _I told you so_ is in order here."

Deryn frowned; just looking at the snake intensified the numbness in her hand. "So he's the one who took a piece out of me." The snake hissed viciously at the sight of Deryn, ready and willing to take another bite of her.

"_She_," Dr. Gartner corrected a little too condescendingly for Deryn's taste. "Apparently, you aren't the only one being mistaken for a male." Deryn moaned, at this rate the whole barking world would know her secret by the end of the day. "You weren't exactly decent when Alek brought you to us," Dr. Gartner said, picking up on her discomfort. "But don't worry, I promised Nora I would not tell. Although I must say, I _do not_ approve of your actions! The military is no place for a proper young lady."

"Aye well, I'm not exactly a young lady one would say is _proper_."

The man blinked, "Well, perhaps that's the problem."

"Richard!" Dr. Barlow called from somewhere in the brush. "When you are finished filling her head with rubbish do you mind giving me a hand over here?"

Dr. Gartner looked at Deryn once more before grumbling something inaudible and going over to Dr. Barlow. What was it with boffins and being annoying?

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><p>The sun had gone down somewhat as the four of them headed back towards the <em>Leviathan. <em>Alek and Deryn lagged behind, walking silently for the first five minutes. It was the worst kind of silence, the uncomfortable kind. "I wanted to tell you," Deryn said anxiously, breaching the quiet. "I really did. But I didn't want things to get all pear-shaped." Alek molded his face into a confused expression, inciting her to keep talking. "Things are already complicated..." she paused for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. "And I can understand if you're angry, and hate me—"

"Dylan—"

"It's _Deryn_, actually."

"Deryn," Alek said softly, as if testing the new name on his tongue, "I won't tell anyone," he said looking away. "I don't hate you. And as much as I want to be angry with you, I can't be. What I don't want is for our parting moments to be filled with anger and resentment. You are still my friend, simple as that."

Deryn sighed; she wished it was that simple. But she loved him like the crazy girl she was. Crazy, _common_ girl and _Prince_ Alek could never be with a commoner. As much as she craved they could be more than friends, they couldn't be. And now that he knew the truth, the door was opened for something more than just friendship to develop between them, something that could never truly be. He'd have to run a mile, and then they couldn't even be friends.

"You're my friend too," Deryn said, leaving it at that. Despite her reservations, her senseless girly feelings kept getting the best of her, a rather inconvenient occurrence whenever she was around Alek. Deryn wanted so desperately to tell him how she truly felt, her _other_ secret. But the rational, non-mooning Deryn didn't want to make things any more difficult than it needed to be between them. Not when he just found out the truth about her, and not when he would be leaving so soon.

She reckoned their parting would be more difficult if there _were_ something romantic between them. As sweet as it sounded, what benefit would there be if she poured her heart out to him like some ditzy dame? It would be best if they remained friends. Why make the goodbye even more difficult?

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><p>The first antivemon was developed in 1895. But the early antivenoms were quite dangerous, often just as much as the original venom. An improved version was not created until 1938. However, I felt as though the Darwinist would be ahead of their time, and they're all about biology. So they could have done a better job. Deryn would have been in capable hands. Plus, I couldn't just let her die, and believe it, or not, Mohave rattlesnake bites are rarely fatal. Though, I'm pretty sure commonsense would tell you to get help anyway if you were bitten by a rattlesnake.<p>

Nonetheless, the Mohave rattlesnake is quite aggressive, and its venom is potent and dangerous. In some victims, certain symptoms may be delayed which means that, unfortunately, they may postpone getting help. Considering that Deryn passed out after about a minute of the snakebite, her recovery was probably way too fast. One guy fell unconscious after fifteen minutes and stayed that way for days. So Deryn's reaction may have been slightly exaggerated, and she probably wouldn't have turned out well in this universe. But Deryn is a tough girl, and I wanted to keep the story moving. Plus, I figured Darwinist antivenom and snakebite treatments would be better that ours.


	13. Chapter 13

Love and War

Chapter 13

Alek was sick. He was sure of it.

What else would explain his fixation on Deryn? No matter what he did to try to control it, his every moment was now consumed with thoughts of her. And when he wasn't busy thinking about her, he wanted to be with Deryn. When he went to sleep, he dreamed about her, only to wake up wanting to dream some more. The slightest reference to her would fill his heart with happiness.

God's wounds, even her quirks filled him with happiness! The way she drinks like a sailor and swears like a whore. Things that he would normally find so vulgar were quite charming coming from Deryn. Alek was pretty sure that was weird; it was unlikely that anyone else would share his sentiments. This ailment was particularly serious indeed.

"Deryn," Bovril said from Alek's shoulder. At least the loris seemed to be feeling well.

"Perhaps we should keep calling her Dylan," Alek told him gently.

"Dylan," Bovril said thoughtfully. "_Mr._ Sharp."

"I think _Dylan_ would be better."

"_Mr._ Sharp," Bovril insisted. Alek cringed; apparently _hi_s opinion didn't matter much to the loris. "We'll have to work on that."

In the meantime, Alek was on his way back to his stateroom after he made sure Deryn was okay. She had gone back to her middy duties despite Alek's insistence that she stay in her room and recover. She had refused of course, insisting that she was fine, and went straight to the ratlines despite her weak hand. It was as if she _wanted_ to give Alek a heart attack.

Nonetheless, was it wrong that he almost sort of..._liked it_? Her open defiance and spirit would just fill him with so much heat it was almost unbearable. And that was usually when the most foreboding thoughts entered Alek's mind. Notions that he dared not mention to anyone, especially Deryn. They weren't exactly princely and admittedly, quite awkward and embarrassing, as well. Alek groaned. He had to remedy his condition quickly before it became out of control, although, it may be a little late for that. These weren't normal feelings to have towards a friend, he was sure of it.

Few things could steal Alek's mind away from Deryn; she was such a fascinating girl. Earlier Deryn had told him and the boffins about her ballooning adventures when she was younger and about her father. Looking back, mistaking her for a boy was sort of embarrassing and on top of that, he cried in front of her. Of course, he took comfort in the fact that he wasn't the only one she duped. She even had Volger fooled for a while!

Alek had stopped in his tracks a few feet before he reached his stateroom. The door was slightly ajar. The light was on and illuminated a green glow from inside. Alek knew for a fact that this was not how he had left his room. He entered the room tentatively only to find Dr. Barlow rummaging through his drawers and personal belongings. And to his immediate horror Tazza was going through his things, as well.

Alek cleared his throat, making his presence known.

"Prince Alek!" Dr. Barlow jolted upright and returned a pair of underwear to his top drawer which made Alek's face redden slightly. "Honestly Alek, you really should knock before you enter rooms; I know that isn't one of your strong points."

"But, this is _my_ room." Tazza walked up to Alek and gave him a quick sniff and a glance over. Alek looked at Dr. Barlow uncomfortably after shooing Tazza away. Not only was she sneaking around his room, but it was downright odd being alone with her now after the _incident_.

"What are you doing in my room?" Alek asked as he glanced around his now disheveled apartment.

She frowned innocently, as if she were somehow the victim here. "Honestly Alek, is this how you treat all of your female guests?"

"Oh," Alek blinked, wondering where his manners had gone. It wasn't as if he had female guests visit him—or snoop around his room—often. Deryn didn't count because whenever she had visited she had been under the pretense of being male. He walked over to a chair and cleared it off for Dr Barlow, though he didn't feel like being hospitable at the moment. But it seemed impolite to turn her away. "Would you like to have a seat?" Alek asked her as she gave a quick, purposeful glance around the room and Alek wondered what she was up to. He didn't want to be bothered with the woman's shenanigans, he'd much rather be alone and free to daydream about Deryn. _Deryn_, such a sweet name, lately that word always brought a smile to his face.

"You are in a good mood," Dr. Barlow said, waking Alek from his trance.

"What?" He was blushing uncontrollably and could do little to hide it. "I'm not feeling very well, that's all."

Dr. Barlow smiled. "Usually people have a rather brooding demeanor when they are under the weather. Not smiling like happy fools. The only time people do that is when they are in love."

Alek's face fell; he couldn't possibly be in love, not with Deryn. He didn't even know how to respond to such a ludicrous statement. "I…I…"

Dr. Barlow took a seat in the offered chair, smiled at him, and said, "Is it Deryn?"

Alek scoffed. "What? No!" He said defensively. "That's ridiculous! No, no, no. Why would I—_no_! I am not in love with Deryn." But dang it, he mentioned her name, and a small rebellious smile escaped his lips, much to his vexation. He didn't even bother trying to convince Dr. Barlow otherwise now.

"I think it's sweet," she said. Dr. Barlow offered him a small grin and gave his hand a firm squeeze, "There is nothing wrong with you," she said reassuringly.

Alek ran his fingers through his hair, nothing may be wrong with him, but he sort of wished that there was. This certainly complicated things. For one, there was the class difference. Deryn was no princess. And then Volger's words echoed in his head; he and Deryn were technically enemies. Not to mention Alek was on the run from his government, so distractions such as a hopeless and disastrous romance were unwelcome. Acting on his feelings would be 'daft' as Deryn would say.

"I wish my father were here," Alek said out loud. "He'd have an answer. I mean, I can't be in love with Deryn! It would never work out between us. And I told myself that I wouldn't make my father's mistake."

"What you call a 'mistake' happens to be the reason for your existence."

"It's as I said _a mistake_. My existence caused the whole world to fall apart."

"Come now Alek, enough of your self-loathing. This war is not your fault, and you shouldn't be so hard on your parents. There are a lot of rules that society would do well to dispose of such as class distinctions. And I think the fact that your parents sort of pushed the rules to the side is somewhat admirable." That was easy for her to say, Dr. Barlow wasn't the product of such a mixed marriage. "And it's quite romantic as well," she added. "If you are worried about your children I would just like to point out that marrying within your class, offers a very limited gene pool. If you only look within your station, you'll wind up marrying a close relative and then your children will never come out right. Ironically, with Deryn, your offspring will actually have a better chance to be normal...to some degree anyway, just something to think about. And for what it's worth, I think the two of you would make a perfectly decent couple."

"Found one!" Alek heard a voice say from behind him. He spun around and saw Dr. Gartner come out of the room's kitchen compartment. Talking about Deryn was just a diversion from the real situation at hand: they were invading his room and Alek suddenly felt very exposed.

Dr. Gartner was holding a jar with a feisty bright orange insect inside, a _large_ feisty bright orange insect. It had to be at least eight inches long and an inch thick, with what seemed like dozens of menacing black legs. _And_ it was in his room!

"Oh hello, Alek," Dr. Gartner said as innocently as he could manage. The man conspicuously hid the jar behind his back, and while Volger would readily admit that the prince did not have the best observation skills, it was sort of hard not to notice the action, "strange seeing you here."

"_This is my room_," Alek said commandingly; his jaw tensed as anger and confusion took over. He just wanted to be left alone to think and clear his head; apparently that was too much to ask for. Then questions had been raised, and he had the feeling that isolating himself was no longer an option. "What is that thing? Why is it in my room?" Alek turned back towards Dr. Barlow who looked at him as if she had no clue what was going on. _Unlikely_. "What is the meaning of this?" Alek demanded and made sure that she got the full effect of the hard stare he was giving her.

"Now look what you did, Richard! I guess doing this quietly is no longer an option."

"Is that a centipede?"

"Yes, yes it is," the woman said as she stood up. "And I am afraid that there is another one loose around here…somewhere."

"What!" Bovril yelped as Alek scanned the room franticly.

"That thing is huge," Alek said.

"You know what's interesting," Dr. Gartner gestured, "the female is larger than the male."

Alek winced, "Please tell me that's the female in the jar." Dr. Gartner gave a small crazed laugh and then continued his search.

"Don't worry, Alek," Dr. Barlow said. "We'll find her. Until then, why don't _you_ find Miss Sharp? Tazza could use a walk. She is never around and readily available when I need her the most it seems."

Alek exhaled, this situation was clearly out of his control; the thought of being with Deryn did make him smile, though. And Alek certainly did not want to be in the same room as a monstrous insect. So it actually didn't take him long to decide to run after his friend.

Alek made his way down the long hall lost in his thoughts of Deryn until a firm hand on his shoulder startled him back to reality, the accursed Deryn-less reality. "Alek!" Count Volger said in a calm, cool voice, curiosity etched his face. "Why are you so happy?"

"I'm not!" Alek replied tersely; people were acting as if it were a crime to be happy.

Volger looked past Alek. "What is going on in your room?"

"Oh, Dr. Barlow and her '_friend_' are looking for a lost centipede in my room."

"Really? You left them _alone_ in the same room together?"

"Of course," Alek nodded, he wasn't going to stay in there with them; he would rather not be in that particular room at the moment.

"And that was a good idea in your opinion?"

"Um…I didn't want to stay in there with the centipede."

Volger furrowed his eyebrows, as if a large deadly insect was a trivial concern. "I feel as if you are overlooking the more vital matter here."

"Volger, these aren't your typical house centipedes. They're the wicked Darwinist kind."

"Wicked," Bovril repeated.

Volger sighed and pondered the thought for a moment. Perhaps now the count would see reason. "Well then," he breathed, "I guess you better keep your eyes open."

Alek's mouth fell open. "Are you _insane_?"

Volger waved his hand towards Alek's stateroom, "You will be fine. I need you to keep an eye on them, this is important."

"How so?"

"Alek," the count stated firmly as if the naïve boy were somehow ignorant of the dire state of affairs which apparently he was because Alek honestly didn't see the need to babysit two grown adults. "Don't you care about the woman's virtue?"

Alek coughed and bit his lip; so many replies flew through his head. _It may be too late for that._

"If I go it would be too suspicious."

Alek moaned and looked back at his room.

"Thank you," Volger smiled. Alek turned and timidly headed back towards his stateroom; the boffins were a little old to be looked after by a fifteen-year-old. And he couldn't help but wonder whether or not this was tantamount to spying.

"Wicked," Bovril said, perhaps in an attempt to make Alek feel guilty. When he returned, his room was even messier than it was previously; the room had been essentially torn apart.

"Alek," Dr. Barlow said, looking more than a little stunned. "I didn't expect to see you back this soon. Haven't found it yet, I'm afraid."

Alek nervously studied the room, "I came to help you look."

"That really isn't necessary; we have the situation under control."

"I know but, the more hands make the load lighter," Alek made a feeble attempt to smile before freezing when he felt something crawl on the back of his thigh. It was just Tazza, shattering his nerves yet further. "Or, something like that," Alek strained to hide the uneasiness in his voice.

Dr. Barlow looked at him suspiciously. This wasn't going well. Alek took a seat in the wooden chair he had cleared off earlier and sat down. He watched the area around him carefully. "You know, Alek," Dr. Barlow said, "If you are going to help, that actually involves _looking_."

He nodded at her but didn't actually move from his seat. "What is the _real_ reason you're here?" Dr. Barlow asked. Alek struggled for an excuse and then sighed before giving up. He had hoped to get through at least five minutes without arousing doubt. But if he could brew up some trouble then this wouldn't have been a complete waste of time.

"Volger sent me in here to spy on you. He doesn't trust you at all."

Dr. Barlow shook her head in disbelief, "Spy on me?"

"Yes, or _babysit_ if you like, he doesn't like the thought of you two being alone together. So I am here to make sure that you don't do anything…too friendly, if you know what I mean." Alek raised his eyebrows, "You _do_ know what I mean, right?"

"I know what you mean."

"_No trust_," Alek shrugged.

"Isn't that a little devious?" Dr. Gartner asked.

"Very much so; he's very controlling, and he's always scheming. _Not a good sign_," Alek said looking Dr. Barlow knowingly in the eye. "And, I don't mean to stir up trouble, but I don't think he has shown you much respect. He hasn't been treating you very well at all."

Tazza made a low growl, and something scurried out from under the thylacine. "There she is," Dr. Gartner said scooping up the bright orange centipede with a glass jar.

Dr. Barlow glanced over to the other boffin who was smiling triumphantly, but she was long removed from the situation, "Where is Volger now?"

Alek tilted his head, "He may still be in the hallway."

Dr. Barlow didn't say anymore and quickly left the room to run after Volger with Tazza right behind her.

Dr. Gartner chuckled, and Alek remembered that he was still not alone. "Those two are comical," Dr. Gartner said as he twisted the top to the jar that now caged the centipede.

"Who?" Alek asked. "Dr. Barlow and Tazza?"

The man laughed, "_Yes,_ but no. I meant Dr. Barlow and Count Volger."

"I'm afraid I don't follow."

"I don't know it just amuses me. They're obviously in love with each other and yet they're always at odds. The act they put on…" Dr. Gartner shrugged dismissively, turning his attention back towards the insects.

"Go on," Alek urged, clearly not as interested in the centipedes as Dr. Gartner.

The boffin quickly looked back at Alek, as if he was mad to find the centipedes less interesting than Volger and Dr. Barlow. "The two try to act like they don't care about one another, but they do. It's funny," Dr. Gartner smiled.

Alek would have laughed aloud if it wasn't for Dr. Gartner's resoluteness on the matter. Clearly the man was mad. Alek knew Volger better than he did. "That's preposterous; Volger doesn't love anyone but himself."

Dr. Gartner gave Alek an indifferent leer before turning back to his centipedes. Alek would never understand the Darwinist fascination with creepy and ominous animals, "Aren't they pretty?" Dr. Gartner brought the jars closer to Alek, and the prince frantically tried to put some distance between him and the creatures. And, as a result, fell off his chair and onto the floor. "Look how vibrant their color is. You know, all the ugly ones died. That's natural selection for you. It works on humans too thankfully."

Alek furrowed his eyebrows, "That's a terrible thing to say."

"What do you care? You're a good-looking kid," Dr. Gartner smiled and tossed Alek's hair. Alek, fittingly annoyed at this point, decided that it was time for his room to be boffin free once more. Alek scrambled off the floor in the most dignified way he could manage, walked over to the door and opened it for the man. "I won't keep you," Alek said as he stepped into the hallway just to make his point even clearer.

And yet, Dr. Gartner took his time leaving. A fact that Alek had noticed right before his eyes caught a flash of light brown hair in this distance and then Alek's attention was quickly diverted. A few doors down, presuming at Volger's stateroom, Deryn had her left ear cemented to a door. The back of her pretty little flaxen head was facing him. Was it odd that he was physically attracted to a girl who was supposed to look like a boy?

Alek wasted no time, walking over to her. "Deryn?" he whispered into her ear.

"Listen," she whispered back. Alek put his ear to the door; he could hear Volger and Dr. Barlow yelling on the other side.

"They're really going at it," she said. "Our plan is working."

"What plan?" The two of them jerked upright and turned to see Dr. Gartner standing beside them. "What plan?" the man frowned and asked again.

Deryn scratched her head. "Can you repeat the question?"

Dr. Gartner crossed his arms, and looked at them as if they were naughty children that needed to be punished, it was all quite irritating. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing," they both said harmlessly.

"Why don't I believe that?"

"We are doing everyone a favor," Alek sighed. "You wouldn't understand. They are having a rather illicit relationship that we had to put an end to."

Dr. Gartner's eyes widened, "You what! That's awful, why would you do that?"

"It's for the greater good! You don't understand; it had to be done. There is something seriously wrong with that pair."

"Volger doesn't even like her," Deryn spoke up. "He's just using her."

"Where is this coming from?" Dr. Gartner asked.

"I asked him," Alek folded his arms proudly.

"And he told you that he didn't care for her and was just using her?"

Alek blinked and unfolded his arms, "Well, um, those weren't his _exact_ words."

"So you jumped to conclusions? Then you decided to meddle in their personal affairs with little to no evidence to back up your assumptions."

"Well, when you say it like _that_ it doesn't sound too good," Deryn said.

"Can you keep this a secret?" Alek asked.

Dr. Gartner's face hardened, "You don't see how wrong this is? So you have no remorse whatsoever? You really think you're doing the right thing?"

"Aye," Deryn said. It was quite obvious, was it not? Alek was sure that this was an admirable pursuit. "I think we just explained this."

"Well, then, don't let me keep you from your scheming."

"You're not going to try and stop us?" Alek gave the man a look of skepticism.

"No you see, I figure trying to split up two people who are _clearly_ enamored with one another—your fathers would be very proud by the way—will eventually blow up in your faces anyhow."

A loud smack from inside the room interrupted the man's scolding, not that Alek was still listening. Volger wouldn't actually hurt Dr. Barlow, though, would he? The door swung open alongside a gust of air and Dr. Barlow joined them in the hall. The woman glared at the two young friends, she seemed perfectly fine, "_Eavesdropping is rude_," she said. They didn't even have their ears to the door this time when she came out. How did she know they had been listening in?

"That's what I tried to tell them," Dr. Gartner said. "Are you okay?"

"I am perfectly fine," Dr. Barlow said confidently. "If you need me, I will be in my room. Feel free to explore the ship without me."

"Are you sure?"

"You can take Tazza with you if you like."

Dr. Gartner laughed quietly, "I meant are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course," Dr. Barlow smiled and then went on her way after handing Tazza's leash to Deryn. Maybe the plan didn't work as well as they had thought. Dr. Barlow left Volger's door slightly agape, and Alek and Deryn went into the room. Volger was sitting behind his desk with his back turned to them as he gazed out the window.

"Volger?" Alek said quietly.

The count spun around in his chair and gave the two of them a devilish glare. It was as if he knew what they had done. "It amazes me how knocking is still a foreign concept to you two," the man said crossly.

"That's why you should lock your door," Deryn whispered, a statement that Volger evidently didn't find terribly funny.

"Can I help you with something?"

"What happened?" Alek questioned as his eyes were drawn to the red mark on his cheek.

"Did Dr. Barlow slap you?" Deryn asked the count and Alek found himself amused by her lack of tact in this situation. "I'm a wee bit jealous now," she said.

Volger rubbed his head, "What an infuriating woman."

"I'm sure you deserved it," Deryn said. Well he did ask Alek to borderline spy on her which would probably upset some women.

"That is hardly the point. I am not in the wrong. You do not realize how many times I have come close to strangling her."

Alek nodded slowly, this relationship was truly perverted, "Of course, she hits you, you want to strangle her. That is perfectly normal."

"Are you two still together?" Deryn asked.

"No," Volger said simply, forcing Alek to hold in a smile. They had been successful after all.

"Well, sometimes these things just don't work out," Deryn managed to say sympathetically.

"You should be pleased, Alek. You got just what you wanted, again, as always."

"I understand if you are upset at the moment," Alek said. "But by morning you'll be much happier. You will feel as though a weight has been lifted from you."

"I highly doubt that, Your Highness." Volger sighed, "Never mind forget I made that statement."

Alek rolled his eyes, "God's wounds." He was thoroughly tired of the count's cryptic remarks.

"Blisters," Deryn said and then tightly gripped Alek's shoulder. "You _do_ love her," she breathed. "Don't you?" Alek didn't know quite what to make of the accusation. He asked him precisely the same question earlier and nothing came of it. Granted, now that he thought about it, Volger didn't exactly say, "no."

"Wait, you do?" Alek gasped as the past few days came tumbling down.

"I was afraid that it was blatantly obvious. As it turns out, there are things I actually _can't_ control. It is quite odd." This changed everything. "What does it matter? It's over. It would have never worked out anyway." Volger turned back towards the window, and Alek and Deryn gave each other a bittersweet glance before gloriously heading towards the door. Their plan had worked, they were victorious. So why did Alek feel badly?


	14. Chapter 14

Love and War

Chapter 14

Doing the right thing was supposed to make you feel _good_, and yet Alek felt the complete opposite. He took his conflicted feelings back to his room, and collapsed on his bed soon after entering the warzone that now occupied his stateroom.

"What happened to your room?" Deryn asked from behind him as she surveyed their wild surroundings. The fabricated wooden door shut with a loud and resolute click, and Alek sat bolt upright. He didn't even see Deryn come in which was strange because lately he had been noticing even the tiniest things she did.

"Nothing," Alek said, he was too consumed with his thoughts to care about the mess at the moment.

Alek closed his eyes and felt the weight shift on his bed before Deryn said, "Doesn't look like _nothing_." Alek opened his eyes and saw the girl sitting next to him a mere inch away. Rather uneasily, Alek realized that he didn't quite trust himself to be alone with her. He was alone in his room with a girl he happened to like very much; she was resting conveniently on his bed, and he was a fifteen year old boy. So many troublesome events could take place. But fortunately, he didn't have the audacity to turn his thoughts into actions. No use complicating things. "Have you ever been in love?" Deryn asked suddenly.

"What?" Alek struggled to find a reply; he was caught completely off guard. This question was the last thing he expected to come out of her mouth. Well, he wasn't about to tell her that he was in love with her (a realization he was forced to accept), that's for sure. He'd rather not make a dummkopf out of himself and earn a good slap from his friend. Besides, he was working to remedy his emotional state. If falling _in_ love was so easy, then certainly falling _out_ of love wouldn't be so difficult. "Um, no," he said hesitantly and stared down at the scratch marks that had been worn into the floor. The lie simply lingered in the air. So he diverted the question. "Have you ever been in love?"

Then it was Deryn's turn to foolishly blush. "Yes," she said awkwardly and rubbed the back of her head.

"Really?" Alek's body stiffened. He certainly wasn't expecting that answer, and truthfully, he didn't like her answer. It was probably some boy back in Scotland; he didn't even know the guy and he already hated him. "What is he like?" Alek asked, hoping his tone didn't give away his frustration. Alek was jealous, he knew, and it wasn't a particularly pleasant emotion. It festered. "Well?" Alek pushed after she didn't respond. "Handsome?"

"Yeah," she replied.

"Yeah?" Alek _really_ hated him now. "Is he clever?"

Deryn shrugged, "Yes, most of the time." Her entire face was red by now and Alek fought to keep his anger under control.

"You must really like him, if you are blushing that hard," Alek's voice was uneasy and bitter, he instantly regretted the statement.

"I…we…it's not like…um….but we aren't together. Never were, never could be," she said sadly. A sense of relief washed over Alek not that he could be with her either. But still, if he couldn't have her then nobody could. It was only fair.

"Are you smiling?" Deryn barked.

Alek hadn't realized it, but he was indeed smiling and he almost felt ashamed for being so envious and hateful. Almost. "I'm sorry," he said, straightening his face, "I didn't mean to smile at your misery." A grin inadvertently escaped his lips, and Deryn punched him in the shoulder. "_Sorry_."

"Aye, I don't think he ever felt the same anyway," she said elusively.

"Then he's an idiot," Alek harshly replied which elicited a small smile from Deryn—a brilliant victory.

"I guess the only reason I asked is because I can't help but wonder if we did the right thing—trying to break up the boffin and count."

Hearing this only added to Alek's mixed emotions. "I can't say anymore. I want to say _yes_, this morning I would have. But there is this little voice at the back of my head that keeps telling me otherwise and making me feel bad."

"That's your conscience, Alek." Deryn laughed, "I guess that answers my question."

Alek moaned, that wasn't the reply he wanted to hear. "This is all Volger's fault. If he had told me that he felt that way in the first place, then this wouldn't have happened. He forced our hand." Of course, saying that did not mean Alek believed it. And it certainly did not ease his so called guilt. "No," Alek sighed. "Perhaps we did make a mistake. Are we terrible people?"

"Wicked," Bovril said.

Deryn frowned, "I wouldn't say 'terrible,' we meant well, right?"

"I  
>think," Alek winced. "Either way, we have to find a way to repair the damage."<p>

"Without letting them know it was us who split them up in the first place of course."

Alek raised his eyebrows, he hadn't thought of that. If they found out, it certainly would not end well for the two friends. It would probably be better if Volger and Dr. Barlow sdidn't know that little detail. "Very well."

"Breaking hearts is a lot easier than mending them though."

"You think we broke their hearts?" Alek was almost afraid to hear the response; he would be pretty upset if he and Deryn were together and then they broke up.

"Well we have to take into consideration that Volger seems to be missing that organ," Deryn joked. But it didn't make Alek feel any better. One thing was for sure, they had to do something to fix this.


	15. Chapter 15

Love and War

Chapter 15

Nora scribbled down a slew of notes before turning back to her loris for further observation. She enjoyed her research, and there were times such as now where her work offered a welcomed diversion. It was better than having to deal with her turbulent love life.

_Sodding counts_! Of all the outcomes that could have resulted from their secret romance this was the last one she would have expected. And regardless of which way she analyzed the situation, it was difficult to pinpoint what had gone wrong. Everything fell apart so suddenly. Perhaps she _had_ been taken advantage of. It was hard to accept that option; and yet, that seemed like the only logical answer to the circumstances and the more she thought about it the angrier she became. She had been a fool, and that was something Nora Barlow was not use to.

So she buried her mind and body behind piles of books and research hoping to rid her head of the terrible events that recently took place. It still wasn't clear if her tactics were working. When she managed to focus on her studies, it only offered a fleeting diversion.

At least she could work in the comfort of her very own stateroom. It was one of the better rooms, near the captain's quarters (a tradeoff) lined with real wood and a relatively decadent design. Conceivably, it was a little too theatrical to some, but… well, that never crossed Nora's mind. And it was now that she appreciated the room more than ever.

She didn't have to share a room like the middies or feel confined like the prisoners. Here, she could vent in isolation. That was her reason for taking refuge here obviously, and because she didn't want anyone to see her cry. She had been humiliated enough already and refused to give an audience along with Volger that satisfaction.

Never in her life had she been manipulated so blindly and systematically. She would have never realized what was happening if Miss Sharp hadn't pointed it out, another thing she cared not to admit. It _still_ didn't make sense. And of course she had to fall for the one man who was able to do it. She supposed that much made sense in a way; she would have been impressed if it didn't hurt so much, or if she didn't hate him and love him so much all at once. She was making herself ill just thinking about it.

Nora scoffed, and the loris looked at her curiously through its large knowing eyes, perking up its ears. The lorises were meant to be curious, but her loris seemed far more curious than the other loris, "Bovril" as he was now called. It was distressing enough that they named the creature in the first place, but they could have at least given it a better name. Nora wondered if her loris was naturally more inquisitive than "Bovril" or if its extensive curiosity was something it picked up from its owner; both were valid questions that needed to be examined.

"Tea is needed," Nora told the loris, and the beast blinked as if he understood her. The woman bounded out of her leather desk chair with the loris following her into the kitchen, just another convenience that came with the room, and Nora began to boil a pot of water. It was yet another welcomed distraction, however, brief.

If the loris were naturally more enquiring than "Bovril," unlikely, then it was quite possible that the Perspicacious Lorises were capable of developing their own personalities independent of their human. The creatures do make for an excellent source of knowledge. She penned a slew of notes into her journal as her loris intently watched her hand, pen, and journal.

Nora experienced another bought of emotion, and her brain was torn away from her work. She let out a pained sigh and took a seat at the coffee table in the kitchen. She rested her head on the table right before her eyes filled with tears. It didn't help that despite the fact that her heart was methodically ripped out she still cared for Volger deeply, and would do anything for him even at the risk of her own life. That was a sentiment she reserved for a very modest number of people, and yet Volger was a member of that group, and there was something very twisted about that.

Nora held her breath to prevent more tears from leaving her eyes and caressing her rosy cheeks; she hated herself for being so pathetic. She looked at her journal with its tantalizing penmanship and felt an urgent need to think about something else. Nora wondered how exactly "Bovril" responded to having a personal name and shakily voiced her question out loud before scrawling it down for further analysis later. Her loris gave a curious purr, and she jotted that down for further research as well. "Curious?" It said giving her a knowing, and somewhat arrogant look. The creature seemed remarkably sure of itself.

"I am," she smiled, brimming over with pride at the loris' uncanny resemblance to her. Nora rubbed her left brow, trying to keep her mind on the loris and off her saddened state.

She had always held out the hope that Volger had felt the same way about her as she did about him; and that there was more to his cold, aloof demeanor. Nora thought she had discovered the softer side of him, and yet this recent revelation had proven otherwise. How was that possible? How could she have possibly been so wrong? The time, the conversation they exchanged, every moment they spent together had shown her another side of him. She couldn't imagine that being contrived, not unless she was_ that _foolish. It didn't make sense.

The loris climbed into her lap and let out a whimper. "I'll be okay," Nora told it softly as she caressed the loris' head. There was a knock on the door, and the creature bolted towards the entrance, and Nora smiled.

There was another knock, and she could just imagine the creature trying to figure out a way to reach the door knob to open the door. It amazed her how much the lorises reflected human reasoning. Her loris was particularly astute it seemed, perhaps that observation was one made on pride more than anything, but she couldn't imagine disregarding the theory.

She wiped a stray tear from her eye, and found her composure before getting up and walking over to the door. Nora picked up a now frustrated loris standing in front of the door (the creature seemed annoyed due to its small stature) and placed it on a nearby table. Nora opened the door and saw Dr. Gartner standing tall and with his arm raised ready to knock again if she hadn't answered. She was relieved that it was just him, and not some random crew member.

"Hi," he smiled. "I just came to say my goodbyes. I should be getting home, and I know the ship is leaving tomorrow night."

"I'm sad to see you go. The last few days have reminded me of the old times. Now I remember how much I missed you."

"Same here," her friend said before giving Nora a warm embrace. The scent of his cologne lingered in the air, and reminded Nora of how out of place Richard was amongst the sweaty and laboring airmen. Now that she knew the truth about Volger, once Richard left she wouldn't have anyone to talk to. It was a situation she was no stranger too which was why she much preferred the company. Sure she had Tazza, but she couldn't have an intelligent conversation with him. His attention span was diminutive.

They pulled away, and Richard's eyes became large suddenly. He cocked his head to the side, folded his arms accusingly, and said, "Were you crying?"

Nora's mouth fell open to speak, but nothing came out. She looked at him indifferently despite the fact that she was panicking on the inside. "I…"

"Is it because of Volger?"

And it was at that moment that Nora felt as though the air had been smacked right out of her making it even more difficult to speak. Nora maintained her guard. All the while, she wanted to go back to her room and be alone, maybe even cry some more. Better inside than in the hallway where someone could walk by.

But she assumed that she would have to say something, something confident, and smart, something to say that everything was fine, and she wasn't breaking inside. She tried opening her mouth again, "You're going to have to write to me," was what managed to come out, and she winced on the inside after she said it. Richard gave her a disbelieving look, naturally. That statement was far to diverted to be believed.

"You should try talking to Volger," Richard said, thankfully he avoided mentioning her comment. "Maybe there is just some sort of misunderstanding."

"That's unlikely," Nora said, besides the thought of actually talking to Volger about anything regarding the subject made her cringe.

Richard shrugged, and stared down at the floor for a moment. "It could be more likely than you think," he said. Nora looked at him quizzically, and it occurred to her that he might know something she didn't.

Before she could ask him about it, a loud siren went off, and the lights began flashing red. "What is going on?" Richard asked.

"It's the alarm. There must be trouble. I am afraid you may not be able to go home just yet." Nora gave him a sympathetic smile despite the fact that she was rather relieved at his delayed departure. "Let's go find the captain and get to the bottom of this," Nora said decisively; perhaps this was another needed distraction.

She started down the hall with Richard right on her tail dodging restless crewmen and soldiers running down the suddenly crowded hallway. "Shouldn't we take cover or something?"

Nora glanced back at her friend who seemed to be trailing behind. "We aren't sure of the danger yet," she said grabbing his arm, and pulling him along as they ascended a set of stairs, "my assistance may be needed."

"Hmm, still using work as a distraction I see," Richard said thoughtfully. Nora rolled her eyes, which, unfortunately, he didn't witness because he was behind her.

Seconds later they stopped at a pair of heavy wooden double doors that led to the ship's bridge, and Nora let herself in. The walls were plastered with maps and readings, and there was a large table in the center of the room. "Captain Hobbes!" Nora cried, "What's going on?"

"Germans," he said crisply. His back was turned to them. The captain spun around on his heels sharply and faced the two boffins. "They're on the ship somewhere, possibly disguised as British crewman. We were currently in the process of finding and detaining them."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Afraid not," Captain Hobbes said. "Find somewhere safe. Be careful. In fact..." The captain reached into his jacket and pulled out a shiny black pistol and immediately handed it to Richard—the male.

"What's this?" Richard exclaimed as he fumbled the gun something that didn't escape the captain's notice and Hobbes gave the man a dubious raise of an eyebrow. Richard clearly hadn't held a gun before, but Captain Hobbes wasn't about to give _her_ the gun, not that she would want the contraption. It was the principle that bothered her. "I'm a boffin not soldier," Richard said staring at the gun cagily with the barrel aimed at his chest.

"I can see that," the captain said softly without taking his weary eyes off the pistol. "Well then, I guess you should be going."

Richard followed Dr. Barlow back into the noisy, crowded hallway, "I am thinking it would be best to return to your room," Richard said. Nora nodded. Miss Sharp would probably head towards Nora's room and return Tazza. They would no doubt run into one another, Tazza would be safely returned to her, and Deryn would be thrust into this madness no doubt.

They started on the same path back to her stateroom they used to get to the bridge. Except this time, the halls were quite deserted, and for a moment, it was easy to forget that there was any danger which made Nora even more cautious. That was when she heard the first gun shot.

A few more shots were fired, and they were all coming from the direction they were headed. She stopped, and her heart sped up. There was the faint sound of voices, shouting—both British and German—and then more gun shots rang out followed by more shouting—just German. And by then Nora started to think of another route back to her room.

"Follow me," she said as calmly as she could manage. Nora started in the opposite direction. Her chest was practically numb after everything that had happened that day, emotionally and physically. It all began to run together; it would be an extraordinary feat if her heart didn't just give out after today.

They almost reached the end of the hall right before the lights began to dim. _Brilliant!_ Hit with a new sense of urgency thanks to the darkening hall, she quickened her pace. "What are the Germans up to?" She said quietly to herself, squinting through the dark. The lights flickered back on, and Nora let out a sigh of relief, albeit, a drained one.

They turned another sharp corner and ran straight into a very…_interesting _encounter. Apparently, Alek had a rather convenient case of amnesia because he seemed to have forgotten their conversation earlier. Why else would he and Deryn be pinned against the wall with their lips pressed together? It was as if the aforementioned discussion had rewritten a lifetime of social structure embedded into his mind. A rather amusing thought seeing as how she was the one who said it and yet she wasn't _entirely_ ready to throw away old traditions. Personally, she didn't mind a little prestige herself. Honestly, it was just the inconvenient ones such as those relating to gender that she didn't care for. Women being considered second-class citizens certainly got in her way at times.

But Nora had to say something to steer them together, a romantic alliance between Alek and Deryn could prove useful in the future. So this was an exceptionally rewarding scene. Miss Sharp's arms were woven around the prince, and Tazza was caught hopelessly in between. If only Volger was there to see; that would certainly send him over the edge, perhaps even out a window. They were too caught up in each other to notice the boffins until Tazza moaned after seeing his owner and the lovers realized that they were being watched.

The two jerked away from one another, flushing hysterically from young hopeless embarrassment. "I can explain," Alek said wildly, and all of a sudden the paramours were speaking over one another, feebly trying to disguise their encounter, as if that could somehow erase the image of the two of them exchanging DNA. It was rather adorable despite the fact that one thing did irk her about the encounter. "It won't happen again," Alek said finally, but Nora couldn't help but notice the disappointed look on the Deryn's face when he said it. But the girl wasn't about to object now, was she? And anyway, Dr. Barlow didn't believe the prince. It would most certainly happen again.

"Oh,_ that _isn't what bothers me," Nora told them. "I don't care what you to do as long as you keep your clothes on. What bothers me is that you two choose to do this in a place that's out in the open. Common sense would tell you not to kiss in the middle of a hallway, even if it is abandoned."

"It was rather spontaneous," Deryn said with that ridiculous smile that all youthful romancers had a sure sign of an irrational brain._ Honestly_, the whole young love thing was somewhat overrated. Nora could do without the awkwardness and the poor judgment; where was the appeal in that?

"Yes, but you could have been caught, and that certainly would have raised some questions correct?" They both nodded dutifully.

"Mr. Sharp!" Mr. Newkirk's voice came from behind them. The boy looked winded and beat up, "I have been looking all over for you. Do you know there are barking Clankers on the ship!" The boy waved his arms frantically. "Oh," he said acknowledging Alek, "No offense."

"At least I have something exciting to tell my wife," Richard whispered to Nora.

"You're married?" Newkirk stared at Richard in shocked disbelief.

"_Yes_," he said slowly.

"_Wow, nice_." A broad smile grew across the middy's face, and his mood instantly lightened. "That is impressive."

"Um…it's nothing abnormal."

"Yes, but a wife _and_ Dr. Barlow. That's really something. I know we men have are needs."

"Pardon me?" Nora's mouth fell open. "That is quite an offensive statement."

"Newkirk!" Deryn spoke up sharply. "Why don't you mind your own business," she said warningly and the boy gave her a confused look.

"Wait, wait," Richard looked disgusted; "you don't think I would have an affair with Dr. Barlow, do you? I would never do that. We are just friends."

"Of course he doesn't," Deryn said. "Why would he think that?"

"What are you talking about?" Newkirk turned to face Miss Sharp and looked at her as if she needed to be sent to the psych ward. But she still glared at the middy and mouthed him to 'shut-up.' Very peculiar. "You're the one who told me."

"You what?" Nora said, before giving Deryn an accusing look. She could tell the girl was thinking hard, trying to find the right and probably feeble words to say in this situation.

"Aye, everyone is talking about it," Newkirk said before Deryn could say anything.

"Oh no," Richard exhaled. "So everyone thinks we are together?"

_Everyone_, Nora thought wearily. Deryn knew Richard was married, and that Nora was with Volger. And then her stomach sank as she realized that perhaps Volger thought that they were together. That would certainly complicate things; what if that was the misunderstanding Richard alluded to earlier. But then again, he seemed to know nothing of this. Richard seemed as shocked and appalled as she did. Nothing made sense._ "_You can't honestly believe I would do something like that."

Nora was angry, to say the least. This was turning out to be a tiresome day, with the confusion, the rage, the heartache, and now this betrayal. Nora trusted Deryn, and then she turns around and spreads ruinous lies such as this. "Why would you do such a thing?" Nora said breathlessly as she tried to get her wrath under control.

Deryn glanced at Alek, and then shrugged which just made the woman even more frustrated and livid; certainly the middy didn't think that was an answer.

"Well…it's not all her fault," Alek said quietly, and for a tense second, Nora's angry glare was diverted in favor of the young royal. "I might have said some things. We're really sorry," he added swiftly, although an apology wouldn't mend the situation. Clearly then this was a group effort. "And we are trying to fix it."

"You can't fix it," Nora snapped at him. "You can't take back what you said. It's too late."

"We could try," Alek said, youthful optimism mixing with naivety. But letting him try wouldn't hurt. But perhaps Alek's fresh optimism could prove useful.

There was the faint sound of a gun going off, and Nora was forced to swallow her anger for the time being. She snatched up Tazza's leash, and with a steely, domineering tone, she said, "We'll talk about this later." The lights flickered on and off once again, dimming the lights before they brightened once again. "Mind your post," she barked at the three troublesome adolescents without looking back at them. She hurried back down the hall with Richard and Tazza.

As they came to yet another corner, gun shots sounded. The noises of which bounced off the walls and made it difficult to pinpoint where they came from. The lights went out again, and Nora stopped cautiously. She peaked around the corner, squinting through the darkness. She glimpsed a dark, shadowy figure half a second before she felt someone tightly grasp her arm and whip her around the corner pulling Tazza helplessly behind.

Nora let out a fearful gasp, forcing panic back. "Unhand me!" She snapped, and to her surprise her assailant did. A slew of harsh German followed, and she relaxed. The words weren't nearly as harsh as the way they were delivered. But of course _Count Volger _could give a cruel edge to even the kindest words. Relief flooded through her, relief that he wasn't a German soldier, relief that Volger was okay.

"Have you lost your mind?" Nora said harshly, remembering that she was still mad at him. She took in the count's lean form through the darkness. "Have you suddenly forgotten how to speak English? I thought you were a German! And how dare you grab me."

Volger rubbed his head tiredly as if _she_ were the one being irritating. Men were a complicated species all on their own, and have a thought process that not even she could access at times. "Are you okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine, as you can see," she said rudely. "No thanks to you."

"Still, you shouldn't be wandering the halls alone at the moment."

"I'm not an idiot, _Ernst_. Don't tell me what I should and shouldn't do. And I am not 'wandering' the halls; I am on my way back to my room. I have the situation thoroughly under control. Plus, I am not alone, I have Richard."

"Oh yes, I saw how he bounded to your rescue when you thought that you were being attacked." Nora snuck a glance at her friend who was struggling with the safety lock on the air gun; he could at least _act_ as if he knew what he was doing. He wasn't helping the cause at the moment. "Some hero," Volger said irreverently.

Nora folded her arms primly and said, "Boffins are persons of _science_, not war."

Volger let out a small yet derisive laugh which made the situation even more grating and Nora wanted to hate him even more. But she didn't let it show. "But your concern is touching," Nora said gingerly.

She anxiously awaited his reply, arms still delicately folded and her face set into a knowing look.

"It would be a shame for Britain to lose its best scientist."

"How selfless of you," Nora said quickly, suppressing a scoff. If he just stopped her in the hall to chastise and string her along then, she was surely done with this conversation. "Just worry about you, Volger. I assume that isn't much of a stretch for you." she said while moving past the count with Tazza being dragged along. She expected Richard to do the same but soon found that she was the only person moving.

"Nora!" She heard Volger say in a worried tone of voice she had never before witnessed come out of him. It immediately caused her to stop a mere second before she heard a click and the piercing unmistakable sound of gun shots. She looked ahead compulsively, through the darkness, just in time to see a sinister look in the enemy soldier's eyes glaring deviously at her—the target.

Nora closed her eyes, bracing herself for the impact and the searing pain that would soon follow. She had always thought that people exaggerated when they said that their lives flashed before their eyes when they were on the brink of death. But she could understand that now. She felt a sudden jolt, and her body being rammed to the ground forcing her eyes open where she glimpsed the count in front of her. He fell alongside her. The whole episode lasted no longer that a few seconds, but it felt as though time had slowed down.

Nora saw Richard frantically point his pistol in the general direction of the German. More shots sounded, and then it was quiet. It was over. Richard looked down at her nervously, and tossed the pistol to the side, shaking.

Nora closed her eyes again, her chest rising and falling heavily. The events that just took place quickly fell into place; she was still alive, and there wasn't the sharp pain she had expected followed soon by blackness. That was better than Volger's condition she knew that much; and that was the only reason she was still alive.

"Oh no," came Richard's unstable voice as he came into view. The man kneeled down beside Nora and gave her a look of concern and fear. She moved her left hand and her fingers sensed something warm and wet. She knew it was blood, and hit with a sudden bought of anger, she bolted upright.

She saw Volger violently sprawled next to her with his arm fixed around her waist—barely moving. "No," she gasped. "You idiot!" Nora reached over and gripped the count's jacket with both hands. He groaned. "Why would you do that?" She asked with her unsteady voice, tears threatening to caress her elusive face.

He let out a troubled breath, and she let his upper half fall gently to the reddening floor. "I love you," he said, straining to talk, and then his eyes went shut and his heartbeat slowed considerably. She stared at him for a long moment, failing to restrain her tears, afraid to check his pulse. But she did it anyway, and was relieved that he hadn't passed yet.

So close yet so far. There may have been a slight misunderstanding—a piece of a fuzzy puzzle she would have to brood over at a better time. Of course, Count Volger would die on Nora right after telling her how he felt about her. He was perfectly content with leaving her after this; meanwhile, he wouldn't have to deal with this situation. But she refused to let that happen, she couldn't let him die, he wasn't getting away that easily.


	16. Chapter 16

I know you probably hate me for taking so long to update and for leaving you on such a cliff hanger. And for that, I am truly sorry. And thus I offer you this chapter written in my blood and tears. I wish I had a cool excuse as to why I didn't update. Like my computer was destroyed by ninja gerbils, or I was kidnapped by Matt Damon. However, the truth isn't as exciting as either of those so let's go with the gerbil option.

I feel as though I should give you an honest explanation. So if you want to know the semi-interesting truth. The real reason is because of I got stuck, and my schedule but the latter is incredibly boring to talk about and shouldn't be a problem anymore.

This had to be the most difficult chapter to write. Not only was it in Volger's point of view but I knew he and Dr. Barlow had to find out about the scheme somehow. And I couldn't figure out how to get everything to unravel in a way that made sense. But I broke through that, which is another story and is too long to put in my author's notes/heartfelt apology. And while this doesn't seem like much it was a real conundrum for me. Looking back, I still cringe.

You will see another update next week. And if I don't update by next week, I will take some request to make up for it. But you don't have to worry about that.

* * *

><p><span>Love and War<span>

Chapter XVI

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Volger awoke to an agonizing pain in his side. His eyes opened slowly, and his view was filled with that of an extravagant, and oddly familiar, room. With some effort, he sat up on what turned out to be a couch and saw the source of his discomfort. The previous night's events rushed back to his head. His shirt was caked in blood, disheveled, and ripped open, revealing a thick layer of gauze wrapped around his torso. What had happened was as clear as day now: Dr. Barlow, the gunshots, the pain, the blood, blacking out. But the horrifying part was what he had said to the lady boffin just before he went unconscious.

He'd have to take it back of course, once his strength returned, knowing her; this would turn into an argument. When the words came out, he was on the verge of death, and was quite content with the thought of bleeding to death once the words escaped. Living was an unexpected setback. The last thing he wanted was for her to think that he was fawning over her, while she hadn't a care in the world in regards to him—running around with other men, the nerve.

Problem was, it wasn't far from the truth. Volger's ego certainly took a blow, especially seeing as how this Dr. Gartner was ridiculous. But the blow was somewhat lessened as long as she didn't know how pathetic he was. Again he thought of death. Either one of them dying would have been far less complicated than this.

Nora, he noticed, was asleep; safe and sound on an armchair across from the couch; alive and noticeably bloodied herself which told the story he wasn't able to witness. He supposed if anyone could rescue him from a brutal death it would be her. It was remarkable and annoying all at once and therefore, unmistakably Nora. And he couldn't find it in him to hate her for it, unfortunately.

Hating her would make the situation easier, but that was something he tried and failed. Only Nora could arouse such strong otherworldly and absurd feelings within him. Why did he get involved with this woman? He should have kept his distance.

Volger stood up from the couch, trying to ignore the intense pain in his side. At the moment, he simply wanted to get out of there. There was little commotion outside, and her stateroom was perfectly silent.

Before heading to the door, he stole another glance at Nora who was still sleeping peacefully. Her angelic face glowing softly in the moonlight coming in through a window. It was easy to forget that she was an unfaithful, conniving harlot.

Volger questioned why he was still there, gawking at something that he evidently couldn't have. The sooner he got off this ship the better (not that she would notice). He needed to take back what he said, cut off all ties (not that she would care), and leave.

Volger started moving again. But luck seemed determined to keep him there; he accidently rammed his foot into something hard and heavy, a round coffee table, and scrapped the tip of his boot. He suppressed a yell, not in the mood to wake up Nora. That wasn't easy. The pain went straight from his foot to the fresh gunshot wound in his side. He winced and managed to control his yelp. But his painful encounter did not go unnoticed. Moments later Tazza noisily trotted up to him and looked at him strangely.

"Volger?" he heard Dr. Barlow speak softly from where she was asleep mere moments ago. "What are you doing up? You shouldn't be straining yourself."

"I'm not," Volger replied harshly, he rolled his eyes and wished she would go back to sleep. Nora looked at him; her face was completely void of emotion. Volger wondered at what moment she would bring up what he said earlier. It could happen any minute now, and he had not yet thought of a defense. He still felt slightly unconscious at the moment, and his mind hadn't returned to normal yet. Another reason this would be an inopportune time to have this conversation.

Nora stood and looked him up and down. "Would you like some coffee?" She asked unexpectedly. Volger raised an eyebrow; she had something up her sleeve.

"Yes," he replied simply, trying not to wince in front of her. As long as he didn't move or breathe, the pain in his upper body wasn't as bad.

"Sit down, I'll get it," Nora closed the gap between them and walked pass him. "You shouldn't be up." She said sharply, glancing back at him.

"I'm fine," Volger ignored the merciless pain and followed her to the kitchen. He probably wouldn't have followed her if she hadn't been so domineering about it.

Nora looked back at him fiercely, "Why are you so stubborn? Honestly—"

"What's he doing here?" Volger interrupted her midsentence and midstride. Dr. Gartner was slumped over her kitchen table, asleep, hugging a tea kettle. Somehow, Volger managed to keep the scornful tone out of his voice. Nora walked over to him and nudged the doctor awake. And after a series of haphazard nudges, the man sat up, shocked and disoriented.

"I do believe the shooting has stopped," Nora informed him. It took Dr. Gartner a while to register what she had said.

"Oh," the man frowned. "What time is it?" He stood, fumbling the tea kettle in his hands. "I should get home," he said hurriedly, and then remembered the pot in his arms. "You left this on the stove. I wasn't sure where to put it."

"I know where you could put it," Volger stated informally causing Nora to shoot the count a deterring look which Volger chose to ignore.

"You do?" Dr. Gartner raised an eyebrow, honestly curious. Volger forced a smile.

"I'll take it," Nora said grabbing the kettle. She put on a pot of coffee as the two boffins exchanged a few sentimental goodbyes which took much too long. And then Dr. Gartner finally left.

"_Genius_," Volger took a seat at the table where only moments ago Richard was sitting.

Nora rolled her eyes at this. "It's a shame he's leaving before the two of you had the opportunity to chat. I think you'd get on relatively well. You have more in common than you would think." Nora placed a round saucer and a cup of coffee in front of Volger, and then sat down across from him.

"Don't insult me."

"So is this how you are going to treat all of my friends?"

Volger took a short sip of his coffee, "I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that."

"You know very well what I mean."

"Enlighten me anyway," Nora gave him a look of irritation as Volger brought his cup to his lips once more. "Oh," the count said, his eyes brightening, as if he had an epiphany. He placed his cup gently on the table. "You want me to treat them the same way you do?" he asked matter-of-factly. "Because I honestly don't fancy sleeping with him."

The woman serenely drummed her fingers on the table and smiled smugly. "Jealous?" Nora took a long sip of coffee.

"Don't be absurd," Volger said placing his cup placidly on the table.

"You shouldn't be."

"I'm not."

"Right," she took another long sip. Volger couldn't deny it again; that would seem too defensive, and then it would be impossible to make her think otherwise. It hardly seemed to be working now. "He's married."

"He gets around," a smirk fell across the count's lips as he met her dark glare. Volger felt Tazza lean against his leg but didn't flinch. Strange, in recent months the creature had gone from vile to tolerable.

"Certainly you don't think I would ever entertain such a liaison," Nora said. Volger sat back in his chair. He didn't _want_ to believe it, but everything that had happened recently said otherwise. And Volger was nothing if not logical. "I know there are rumors floating around, but Richard and I are just friends; there is nothing romantic at all between us."

Volger looked down at his cup and then back at her, she seemed sincere enough, which seemed to quench his envy. And he supposed that the rumors were just that. But more than anything Volger realized…_he already knew that_. It was a ludicrous rumor. Nobody goes out to a local inn to buy cheap ale when they have fine wine at home. Whoever started this rumor clearly misunderstood something. "Perhaps people shouldn't believe everything they hear."

"Exactly," Nora said, and thereafter a long silence encompassed the room. Tazza became restless. Volger would have enjoyed the silence if not for fear of her bringing up a certain topic. "Earlier I caught Alek and Miss Sharp kissing in the middle of the hallway."

Volger's eyes widened. Alek would do something reckless like that, wouldn't he? "In the middle of the hallway?" The count said just to make sure he heard her correctly. "I hope you gave them a good scolding."

Nora shrugged dismissively, "I did, more or less."

"Does Alek know…?"

"Yes, he knows Mr. Sharp is a _miss_." Volger let out a sigh of relief. He already had a lot on his plate, without that added complication. "Something you failed to tell me about," Nora added unpleasantly.

"As if you never withheld secrets from me."

"Yes, but you know I don't like to be left in the dark."

"And it's okay for you to keep _me_ in the dark?"

"Precisely," Nora smiled before taking another sip of coffee. "But don't pretend that you aren't the same way."

"Fair enough," Volger said. Of course, this raised the question as to why she even brought it up.

"That's why you love me."

Volger felt his insides tense up, and the throbbing in his side intensified. "About that—"

Nora placed—slammed—her now empty cup indignantly on the table. "You are unbelievable!" she snapped. This wasn't going to go well. "You want to take it back. Are you that self-centered? This is why you will end up alone for the rest of your life."

"You see, this was the type of conversation I wanted to avoid."

Nora rolled her eyes. "It is not as if I'm enjoying this conversation."

"I think you enjoy yelling at me."

Nora sat back and folded her arms. "You should be more like Alek," she said slowly.

Volger almost choked on his coffee after hearing this, and after releasing a few coughs, which sent severe pangs through his body, he said, "Pardon?"

"He's honest, like back in the hallway. What he did may have been a little rash, but it was remarkably straightforward."

"What he did was unwise. This is exactly what I warned him against," Volger said, rising to his feet. "_God's wounds_, when I said that I thought I was going to die. You should have just let me! I wouldn't have to deal with this nonsense!"

Nora frowned and looked at him wide-eyed and in disbelief. "I couldn't have done that," she said calmly. All she had to do was just leave him there, and go on her way. He would have bled out eventually; it was considerably simple. "And doesn't it seem a little odd that you'd sooner die than admit that what you said is true?"

Volger thought for a moment. "I do not think it's odd at all."

"It's not as if you're asking me to marry you. But let me tell you something, a girl can quickly grow tired of your games. Either you love me, or you don't. If you want to take it back then, fine. Just stop wasting my time and don't expect me to stick around. But if you do, in fact, have feelings for me then be a man and just admit it."

Volger looked her in the eye from where he was now uncomfortably standing. "This feels vaguely similar to an ultimatum." He said, and stood silently for an indefinite amount of time.

"You're not going to take it back." Nora said. "You would have done it by now. But instead you avoided the question altogether."

Volger bit his lip. He felt incredibly exhausted all of a sudden and sat back down. "I did mean it," he sighed, and then looked at her. "Just don't expect me to say it often."

Nora's face softened, and a small smile caressed her face. "Now that I know the truth you won't have to. Not verbally anyway. You took a bullet for me after all."

Volger rolled his eyes, "For all the crap you're giving me, may I remind you that you haven't said it to me either. Care to explain that?" He leaned forward, "And I took_ two_ bullets for you." Volger said as a sharp pain went through him.

Nora looked at him blankly. "I told you not to strain yourself."

"I'm not."

She regarded him, looking him up and down, hardly believing his claim. "Are you sure it was two?"

Volger shook his head and smiled slyly, "Who's the one avoiding questions _now_?"

"That is entirely different." Curious, Volger raised a brow wanting and waiting for her to continue. She didn't. Then she finished the last of her coffee while ignoring him.

"As much as I enjoy puzzles, Dr. Barlow, I enjoy getting answers even more."

Nora looked at him irritably, and turned to the window that they were sitting in front of. "Why would I tell you?" she said impatiently. "You never gave me any indication that you garnered romantic feelings for me. Why would I put myself out there like that? For all I knew you could have been manipulating me."

"Manipulating you?" Volger blinked, that never even crossed his mind.

"Of course, I mean, it's not like you're good at it or anything."

"Why would I—" Volger's face hardened he was slightly offended by her theory. "Such a thought never even came to me. And if I wanted to manipulate you, there are other things I would try to get from you first."

"Charming," Nora replied softly and deadpanned. "That wasn't the answer I was looking for."

"Don't get me wrong, you are a very attractive woman. But If I just wanted _that_ prostitutes are much cheaper and easier and aren't nearly as bossy…and yet, I am with _you_. I would much rather put up with you." Volger sat back and finished the last of his coffee. "That is as sentimental as I am going to get."

Her face softened again, "I could say the same." Volger raised an eyebrow and a coy, aloof smile graced Nora's features. For a terrifying second, he felt his stomach flip and immediately brushed it off as hunger out of habit. It was habit enough for him to realize it wasn't hunger. "It's interesting that you know that, though."

Volger flapped his hand flippantly; prostitutes were fairly straightforward. "I forgot to mention, not as insolent, as well."

"Some men find that attractive."

"No they don't. Not in the pursuit of pure physical pleasure."

"So what you are saying is that I am too annoying to be a prostitute."

Volger thought for a moment, careful of how to respond. "I wouldn't say, 'annoying,' I find your mannerism to be rather charming."

"That's because you're a narcissist."

Volger shrugged. "That word has such a negative connotation. I think I am exceptionally self-confident, and I think the same of you. I didn't think that was a flaw."

"Agreed," she nodded, and a few minutes of silence followed. But this time he actually enjoyed the silence. "What are we going to do?" She asked finally, disrupting the silence. "We can't possibly go on like this. We are on different sides of the war, you're leaving, this ship will eventually return to London where I will return, that doesn't bode well for us."

"Perhaps we should see what happens once this war ends," The words felt cold and uncomfortable rolling off Volger's tongue. She reached across the table and firmly grasped his hand, which was the last thing he had expected from her, and therefore should have been expected. Nonetheless, he found it to be pleasant.

"That seems sensible." Nora nodded and suddenly it was over almost as soon as it had started, without a guarantee that he would ever see her again. It was a thought he tried to push aside. Wars last a long time leaving behind countless casualties in the process. In essence, the world seemed to be against him. Story of his life.

"I think we both knew it would turn out this way," she said delicately. Volger felt his chest tighten, but ignored it. "And don't worry," she said tapping his hand with her other one, "We'll see each other again. You are never going to find another woman like me and will end of hunting me down no doubt."

"Like an emu," Volger smiled proudly.

Nora gave him a look of vexation. "Do you really want to revisit that discussion?"

"Probably not. But we hadn't had an argument within the past five minutes. We're due for another."

"And emus are so controversial."

"Very true. That was a strange day," Volger reminisced. "I don't know what I was even doing there. For whatever reason, Alek insisted on going to that hole in the wall."

"That's interesting," Nora said raising an eyebrow. "Has Alek ever been to Mexico?" Volger shook his head slowly, and he got the impression that something was wrong. "Deryn, _Miss Sharp_, must have told him about it then. Telling her something is like whispering it directly into Alek's ear."

Volger blinked and leaned forward again. "So Alek_ knew_ for a fact that you would be there with Richard. And he told me, that we _may_ run into them."

Dr. Barlow laughed at this, "How amusing. If not…slightly disturbing."

Volger thought for a moment, once again getting the feeling that something was off. "It is quite odd."

"I am seriously starting to mistrust Miss Sharp. She's the one who started that terrible rumor about Richard and me. Although that may have involved some matchmaking on her part."

"Matchmaking?"

"Apparently she thought that Richard and I would make a very good couple. But then again, at the restaurant, after it was suggested I immediately informed her that Richard was married. I had to remind her that I was with you which seemed to have slipped her mind. Even after, a long and personal talk about..._us_..." she trailed off. "Anyway, she told Alek what I told her then, as well. She reacted negatively from the start. But then said she was okay with it."

"That's a relief," Volger let out a feigned sigh, "I so desperately wanted her approval."

"You can't blame her for being a little disturbed. I really don't believe her anyway."

"I suppose. Alek wasn't thrilled either." Volger frowned, a twinge of guilt pulling at his mind. It was an odd feeling that had been eroding away for a while now. "He seemed somewhat upset actually." Volger looked down at their intertwined hands, in deep thought. He thought about his initial conversation with Alek, and how he demanded that he break it off with the doctor. And then later he insisted, yet again, that he break it off with her.

"What are you thinking about?" Nora asked.

"Alek tried to get me to break up with you twice now."

"I think they both need to learn to stay out of the personal affairs of others."

Volger nodded and then froze, something lugging at his mind. "Didn't you tell Miss Sharp that your friend was married _before_ this rumor came about?" He asked inquiringly.

"Yes," Dr. Barlow retracted her hand and Volger's arm instantly felt cooler. "She purposely started a false rumor." Her troubled eyes were met with his own, as if he could somehow understand the situation better.

"She couldn't possibly want to set you up with a married man. And the rumor caused more harm than good."

"I doubt Mrs. Gartner would be incredibly pleased with the rumor." The woman smiled, "Although, looking back, I did enjoy your jealous rampage."

The count gritted his teeth, annoyed while she was positively beaming. "I was not—" The last bit seemed to choke off. And the two of them locked gazes, as if caught in a trance while their heads clicked away like gears. Volger sat back as everything came together. "That was the point, wasn't it?" Volger would be lying if he said that his reaction to this Dr. Gartner didn't trigger some sort of argument.

"It would seem that way." Nora said. "This was all part of some plot to drive a wedge between us. And all her talk about manipulation at the restaurant, that was all rubbish." Despite the situation, Volger couldn't help but laugh a little, a laugh that he courteously attempted to cover with his hand. "What is so amusing?"

"She manipulated you." Volger said between laughs.

"Oh, Shut-up!" she snapped. "You were fooled as well." Volger's laughter vanished quickly. Nora flashed an infuriatingly superior smile. "Remind me how you got to the restaurant again?"

Volger frowned, "Seems a bit ruthless for Alek. I don't know if I would use the term 'manipulated' in this instance."

"I would." Nora said quickly. "It would certainly explain why Alek was so eager to join us in town. He knew Dr. Gartner would be there; he knew I would be there, and he knew that would ruffle your feathers—"

"Yes, yes," Volger held up his hand, a polite way of telling her to 'shut-up'. "I am well aware of all this."

"I just wanted to remind you," she smiled.

"Thank you, Doctor," he said contemptuously, looking to move on.

"In a way he did sort of manipulate you."

"Let's not dwell on the past. I'm sure there are a whole slew of back-handed comments they issued to us. The question is what we are going to do about it _now_?"

Nora held up her hand, "Wait, what _did_ he tell you about me?"

"He was able to point out that you haven't treated me very well. You're controlling, disrespectful, you're rude, you _hit me_!"

"That was once, and you deserved it," she quickly objected. He probably deserved most of the abuse she dealt, but he didn't really care. In fact, he quite enjoyed it at times. "You had him spy on me. And I have to add, a lot of those things you mentioned are vaguely similar to what he told me about you."

Volger rubbed his mouth. Alek wasn't a very good spy. "First of all, it isn't '_spying_' if you care about the person. Secondly, what did he tell you exactly?"

"The same really. Controlling, distrustful," Nora raised her hand; counting off points on her fingers as if these were facts, "devious, and he had this _absurd_ notion that you were always scheming."

"I think that is an exaggeration. And you should know that I do trust you. You're one of the few people I do trust, in fact, which is why I was a little taken aback by your alleged relationship with another man. I wanted to run him through."

"And then Miss Sharp and Alek would have been responsible for the death of an innocent man. This plot in general was fairly wicked. And what's worst, they probably believe that they got away with this scheme."

Volger nodded, "We should do something about that."


	17. Chapter 17

Love and War

Chapter 17

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The middy's mess hall was living up to its name. It was a bloody wreck Deryn thought as she moved through the dining hall. Bovril was half asleep on her shoulder. The beastie had run off during the ruckus and got caught up in the midst of this madness. Deryn had recently found it in a cupboard, hiding. It seemed okay despite the rough night.

And now she was in a hopeless search for the lady boffin who seemed to have disappeared. Alek hadn't seen her, Newkirk hadn't seen her, she literally vanished. She heard a commotion in the hall and halted.

"Eww," she heard Alek's voice in the hallway. Deryn peaked around the double doors that separated the mess and the corridor and found a strained and squeamish prince carrying a large sack.

"What are you doing?"

"Deryn!" Alek exclaimed, "Just the person I was looking for. I'm trying to get rid of this beef jerky. Isn't there a disposal in here or something?"

"Barking odd, isn't it beastie?" Deryn whispered to Bovril, and the creature let out a drowsy giggle. "Aye, there is a disposal…sort of…at the back of the kitchen," Deryn said grabbing the other end of the large sack which she quickly found to be disgusting. Deryn led him through the main area of the mess hall and back behind the kitchen area. There was a pair of doors that looked as if they belonged to a hospital and a faintly putrid smell came from behind them. "This is barking heavy," Deryn frowned, shifting her grip on the sack. "And it smells worse than clart."

"It's rancid," Alek said. "That's why I'm getting rid of it."

The thought of Prince Alek throwing away rotted beef jerky would have been funny if it hadn't been so weird. "Where did you get all of this?"

"Well, they're still trying to get the ship back in order after the battle, and I wanted to be of some use. Volger was the one who asked me to get rid of it though." The word 'Volger' sent off alarm bells in her head, but that was perhaps out of habit. This was getting odder by the minute. "I think he had a rough night; when I saw him, he was bloodied and his clothes were out of sorts."

She pushed open the double doors, and the two of them were hit with yet another sickening smell, but strangely, it didn't smell as bad as the putrefied jerky. Inside the small room was a large hole that somehow led to the gastric channels where the garbage would be converted into energy. The pit was lined with railing, and inside the hole was an army of pale wormy beasties to break the garbage down further before it went to the gastric chambers. And if the smell didn't get you to vomit, the pit full of maggots certainly did.

"My word," Alek squirmed, "that's dis—" he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before he started gagging. He went to cover his mouth, dropping his side of the sack which almost pulled Deryn down with it. Seconds later he vomited over the side of the railing and into the pit which just made him vomit more. _Barking Clankers._

When he was finished, he stepped back from the rail and went to pick up his side of the sack. "At least it came out of the attic," Deryn said cheerfully. Alek had his side almost completely lifted but then a strange expression appeared on his face. "What's wrong?" She asked, suddenly anxious.

Alek pulled his hand from under the sack and looked at it in the dim lighting. Deryn gasped; his hand was smeared with a thick red liquid, "Blood?" They gently put the sack down, the opening of which was on Alek's side. The last time Deryn checked, rotted beef jerky wasn't that fresh.

Alek untied the sack, and peeked inside; his eyes widened immediately. Deryn became nervous, and went to his side to confirm that what she was seeing was true. Unfortunately, she wasn't crazy. Inside the sack, they saw a pair of small lace up black boots. "Deryn…I don't think there is any beef jerky in here."

Deryn shook her head, unable to speak as she slowly began to realize that they weren't caring beef. "A…person…" she said, feeling rather queasy herself all of a sudden.

"Maybe it isn't what it looks like."

"Maybe your fencing master is a murderer."

Alek frowned, "There was a battle! Maybe he's a German casualty."

Deryn shook her head, the hair on her skin beginning to stand up. "_She's_ female, Alek. And definitely not a soldier. All of the fashionable ladies in London are wearing boots like that." Alek tilted his head and raised a brow, giving her a look of surprise. Deryn raised a fist to her mouth and cleared her throat, "Or so I heard." His eyes didn't waver, "I don't have time for all that girly nonsense!" she said defensively. "Aye, you get the point."

"Well, maybe…I mean…this is all rather unnerving." Alek sighed and stepped back uneasily. Deryn kept staring at the sack nervously, and then shakily closed it up. "Still looking for Dr. Barlow?" Deryn bit her lip and shook her head. "We should at least ask Volger about it," Alek said. "It wasn't him. Maybe one of the Germans got to her. Yes, that's it." Alek nodded profusely. "And Volger was so distraught that he just couldn't look at her lifeless body anymore."

"Well we can stand here guessing all night, or we could just ask, but we should stash the body first."

"Where?"

"How should I sodding know? I've never hid a dead body before!" Deryn said anxiously.

"Well getting frustrated is incredibly helpful," Alek countered, agitatedly.

"At least I'm trying to think of a solution instead of babbling on, trying to cover for my murderous fencing master."

"He didn't kill her!" Alek snapped. He gritted his teeth.

"Hide," Bovril reminded them. Deryn heard footsteps outside the door.

"Is anyone in there?" a voice called.

"It's one of the officers," Deryn whispered.

"We can't let him see this," Alek whispered. Deryn looked around the room frantically as the footsteps drew closer. Then she remembered an utilities closet at the other end. "Follow me," she said ushering them into the closet along with the body. There was the sound of the double doors opening and closing, and heavy footsteps walking around the room.

"Hello?" the officer called. It was pitch black inside the closet, and Deryn could feel her heart pounding, her breathing was heavy. Locked in such small quarters the stench coming from the bag was now overwhelming. This day had gone all sorts of pear-shaped. At least Bovril was quiet for once.

Deryn could hear movement through the room, but then the sound of double doors opening and closing occurred again and Deryn took that as an indication that the officer was gone. "I think it is safe," she whispered.

"We should not be fighting one another," Alek whispered. "This isn't the time."

"Aye," she said.

"Now what do we do?"

"We get out of this barking closet," Deryn turned the door knob and stepped out into the room. The body would stay in the closet for the moment. Certainly simply sending the body down the garbage disposal was not the way the air service handles the dead, and most certainly not a Darwin. Hopefully they would be back for it before anyone else stumbles upon the corpse. "Now, let's get to the bottom of this."

…_.…_

Alek was right. Volger looked like a train wreck which did not bode well for his innocence. His shirt was ripped and bloodied; there were dark circles around his eyes; it looked as though he were insane, just waiting for the men in white coats to take him to the sick bay. But despite the drunken bar fight look, as he stood in front of his desk, Volger still managed to maintain the air of a stuck-up aristocrat. It was dead annoying.

"We took care of the jerky," Alek said. "But apparently there is still a lot of cleaning up to do."

Volger nodded once, casually, which gave Deryn an eerie feeling. "We are going to have to move up our escape a considerable amount of time."

Deryn frowned. She knew that she and the prince would be separating; but until now, it had been pushed to the back of her attic. It tended to interfere with their kissing sessions.

But moving the escape up was suspicious, nonetheless. Deryn drew Alek closer to her, and they turned around. She was careful to make sure his countship wouldn't hear what she was about to say. "Apparently, Volger is trying to make a getaway." She whispered to Alek.

"There is no proof in that," Alek whispered back harshly. "Maybe the current events altered Volger's plans."

Deryn spun around sharply. "What's the rush?" Deryn asked Volger, hoping for some insight into the situation. He was being secretive that was for sure; but that was nothing new.

Volger scoffed and looked at her imperiously. "That's hardly your concern."

Deryn snarled, "If I were you, I would be a little nicer to me." Volger leaned on the front of his desk, somewhat involuntarily. And she wondered for a brief moment if he _wanted _them to think he had been in a drunken bar fight. However, humorous that image may be, she reckoned he was too proud for that.

"I would say the same for you, _Mr._ Sharp."

"Blisters, you may just have to turn me in."

"Don't you have duties to attend to?"

"Well, I was looking for Dr. Barlow, but she seemed to have disappeared. I don't suppose you've seen her?"

"I'm afraid I have not." Volger stood up straight, "Not since, your last visit."

Deryn blinked; this wasn't a very productive conversation. Alek whispered something unintelligible to her. "What?" She whispered back, and they turned their backs to Volger once more.

"Maybe we should just tell him the truth," Alek whispered again.

"What is it that you don't want me to hear?" Deryn heard Volger say gravely, she cringed. "Secrets between lovers perhaps?" She and Alek turned back to Volger who was grinning with a mix of amusement and disdain. "Strange," he muttered. As if he were in a position to comment on their relationship. Though, Deryn wasn't even sure if she and Alek were in a relationship. "I'd tell you to get a room, but that seems ill-advised."

After a considerable amount of blushing, Deryn and Alek found their composure and were serious once more. Alek cleared his throat, "We discovered something very disturbing."

"You opened the bag didn't you?"

"Well…"Alek went silent for a moment, clearly caught off guard. And the question was delivered so informally that it sent shivers down Deryn's spine. That also didn't bode well for his innocence, granted, that was how he always blathered on. But for a guy who apparently cared for her, he didn't seem too shaken up. He was hard to figure out, but Deryn stuck with her gut.

"I am sorry you had to find out this way," Volger frowned. "I was going to tell you once we were safely off this ship."

Deryn looked at Alek, who was staring straight ahead at nothing in particular. "But I just saw her a few hours ago a—_alive_," he said softly. "Dr. Barlow always seemed so indestructible."

"She isn't immortal, Alek," Volger said a wee bit spitefully. "It's called _war_. People die."

Alek closed his eyes, somewhat fearfully, "What happened to her?" He asked hesitantly.

Volger shifted painfully and looked at Alek skeptically. "Isn't it obvious?" Volger said in a hushed tone. "She left me no choice."

Deryn felt the temperature in the room drop considerably. Sure the lady boffin got on her nerves at times, but she would never dream of doing something like this. "But how?" Alek gasped, looking scandalized. "How could you do such a thing?"

"She forced my hand." Volger paced back and forth across the room, "I never wanted this, in fact, I hate that it had to come to this. I'm a good person," he said prancing around the question. Deryn rolled her eyes.

"Which answers nothing," she pointed out. Volger stopped pacing and glared at her for a moment.

"She betrayed me," Volger said sternly. "I've noticed the signs, I've heard the rumors. And no woman gets away with that. Not on me." Alek and Deryn exchanged troublesome looks, and Deryn suddenly felt extremely small. "So, one could reason that this is Dr. Barlow's own fault. I may be a lot of things, Alek, and I may be a very proud man. But I'm not above revenge."

"_No_," Alek breathed as his eyes began to glass over. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

"It never is."

"No," Alek pleaded. "You don't understand, it wasn't supposed to end this way. It wasn't her fault!"

Deryn hung her head. Guilt was slowly sinking in as she realized what they had done. They quite possibly could be the worst people on the planet.

"Wicked," Bovril said from her shoulder.

"The beastie is right," Deryn said ruefully.

"We are terrible people," Alek said breathlessly. "None of that was Dr. Barlow's fault."

"What do you mean?" Volger asked curiously.

Deryn bit her lip, "Well, there was nothing truly going on between her and Dr. Gartner. We just made it seem that way."

Volger held up his hand, "You did _what_?"

"We're truly sorry!" Alek exclaimed. "We started this rumor about them to make you jealous. And we told you some things that weren't quite true; to get you to think that there was something going on between them. But there wasn't, there never was."

"We wanted to break you up." Deryn said frantically. "But it all went wrong."

"Very wrong," Alek reiterated. "Nobody was supposed to get hurt. But now Dr. Barlow is dead, and it is our entire fault. We're terribly sorry!"

"'_Sorry'_ won't bring Dr. Barlow back!" The count shouted angrily. "How could you do such a thing? Look what you did! How can you live with yourselves?" He walked up to Alek, "Your father would be very disappointed in you," the count said firmly. "How does it feel knowing that you broke your own father's heart?" Deryn watched the two of them, the count and what was now a mere shell of a boy. Tears began to leak out of Alek's eyes. Then she looked Volger dead in the eye. A decision Deryn later regretted. "And you," he pointed at her menacingly, "you don't deserve to wear that uniform," he spat.

"Blisters," Deryn swore and tightly shut her eyes; she didn't want to cry in front of the count. She would have to live with this guilt the rest of her life, not that she didn't deserve it. "I have to tell the captain," Deryn said softly, the statement was directed more towards Alek than Volger. "I'm sorry, I feel dreadful."

"You ripped her away from this earth, and you ripped her away from me. Haven't you done enough damage?" Volger growled.

"I have a duty," Deryn said, feeling even worse than she did before. "I'm sorry, I really am, and I know this is all our fault. But I don't have a choice. Everyone will start asking questions eventually anyway."

"We didn't get rid of the body," Alek said. "After we found out, we couldn't. Not that way, it just didn't seem right."

"Where is it now?" Volger asked, shaking his head.

"In an utility closet," Alek closed his eyes and winced.

"I knew there was something odd about that sack." Deryn told Alek quietly. "That's why the bag was so heavy."

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

Deryn froze, a chill shooting down her spine. The words came from behind, cold and haunting. Deryn spun around slowly and skeptically. It took her a while to register what she was staring at: Dr. Barlow, spry and not decomposing. Deryn just stared, mouth almost to the floor and wide-eyed, she couldn't speak. "You look as though you've just seen a ghost," the woman said.

Deryn hadn't expected the figure to speak; blisters, she didn't even expect her to be real. But she had to be because the woman was clearly mocking her. "Uh…" Deryn opened her mouth to speak, but words failed to come out. "You're alive." Deryn looked at Alek who wore the same shocked and confused expression that she did.

Deryn turned back towards the count who had his arms folded proudly and an annoyingly complacent smile slapped across his face. "I'm confused," Alek said.

"You are?" Dr. Barlow said, clearly disappointed for whatever twisted reason. "I'm disappointed," she frowned. "I was looking forward to the moment when you realized the tables had turned, and your plan failed miserably in the midst of such overwhelming genius."

Bovril began laughing hysterically along with the other loris on the lady boffin's shoulder. "I'm starting to get that now," Alek blushed. "At least you're alive. We aren't murderers after all. We already felt awful about what we did."

"Good." Dr. Barlow smiled.

"I know what we did was wrong, but we had to do something about it. We just didn't like the idea of you two together."

"We still don't," Deryn said. "It's still seems daft."

"But," Alek said quietly, "I don't think we have a choice in the matter. So you have our permission."

"Permission?" Dr. Barlow came closer to them. "'Permission' implies that you had a choice in the matter. It implies that we needed your permission."

"You don't need our permission," Deryn said, placing a hand on Alek's shoulder.

"I know that," the woman said sneeringly, "But I want to make sure _you_ know."

"We do," she grumbled. "But that doesn't mean we have to like it!"

Dr. Barlow gave them a bored look. "I'll try not to lose any sleep over it." The woman looked down at her watch. "I have some things to attend to. Hopefully the two of you have learned to mind your own business." She smiled sweetly and looked them up and down, "I mean, clearly you are in no position to criticize somebody else's relationship. Please check on Tazza for me if you please." Dr. Barlow told Deryn, which prompted a laugh from Volger, and then the lady boffin left the room.

Deryn and Alek turned towards Volger who only stopped laughing after grimacing. "What was in the bag, then? Something was in there." Alek said.

"Rotted beef jerky, and a pair of boots," Volger replied. "I thought that would be obvious by now."

"And you knew we would open it, and believe it was Dr. Barlow?" Volger winced again and leaned against the front of the desk. "Are you okay?" Alek came closer to the count. "Do you need help?"

"No," Volger scowled, and went to sit behind his desk.

"You're bloody."

"I didn't notice." Alek rolled his eyes, which Volger seemed to ignore. "It's nothing," he winced again. "I can thank our German allies for this." Volger said drily. "When I gave the bag to you, it was under the assumption that you wouldn't be foolish enough to dispose of such a suspicious bag without asking questions. Whatever you'd think, I imagined that you would ask me about it. The details don't matter. The point is that you two started this game; you played it well, and yet, you lost."


	18. Chapter 18

Love and War

Chapter 18

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"I'm really sorry," Alek apologized for the hundredth time. The morning was well on its way, but Alek had no idea what time it was. Count Volger was hidden behind his desk and a newspaper. "I heard women like flowers," he said. "You should get her flowers."

"_Alek,_" Volger put down his newspaper indignantly. "Dr. Barlow and I have decided that a relationship would be inconvenient at this time."

"Oh," Alek frowned. "Is it because of us?"

Volger shook his head, "Not this time. We sort of knew it would end this way."

"I'm sorry."

"I know you are."

"So…wait, does this mean you are never going to see her again?" Volger didn't respond, "That hardly seems fair," Alek said, "you're in love with her."

"Must you say it so loudly?" Volger said softly. Alek felt as though he said it using a moderate tone of voice. "You know it isn't that simple, Aleksander."

The prince released a melancholy sigh, and Volger went back to reading his newspaper that Dr. Barlow undoubtedly smuggled for him. But what Alek couldn't figure out was how the count could be so undaunted by the matter. It was almost as if he were all right with not being happy, as if he were used to it. "I don't see the need to discuss it further," Volger said. "There are so many other things we could talk about."

At that point, Alek knew he wouldn't get any more information out of the man. Alek watched Volger shift painfully in his chair. "So, what _did_ happen to you last night? I didn't even know you could bleed."

"Two Germans cornered me." Volger said, "They were out maneuvered, of course, but they were tough nonetheless."

There was a light knock on the door and a few seconds later Dr. Barlow peaked into the room. Alek looked at her strangely, and he received the same look in return. "What?" She asked innocently as she stepped in. It hadn't crossed Alek's mind before, but the woman always seemed to visit the count frequently and at random. Alek shuddered to think why. But it was rather irritating. Especially now, since he and Volger were in the middle of a conversation. What made it worse was that Volger didn't seem to mind. Naturally, the whole world had to stop for her.

She went over and sat on the corner of the desk, facing Alek. "I have some important information for you," Dr. Barlow said. Though, that was what she always said when she visited. She must have read Alek's mind. "Am I interrupting something?" She said inoffensively. And Alek figured that she didn't truly care, or she was simply being nosy.

"Volger was just telling me what happened to him last night." Alek said. He was content to leave it at that, that wasn't the case with Dr. Barlow. This meant that Alek had no choice but to divulge more information about a conversation that didn't involve her.

"He just told me how two Germans cornered him and did quite a bit of damage."

"They still lost," Volger reminded him.

Dr. Barlow looked at the count skeptically, "Is that what you told our young prince? That's not romantic at all," she said, her eyes were fixed on the man, which Alek found to be slightly unsettling.

"You said you had something important to tell us?" Alek said.

"Yes," The woman looked back at Alek. "I'm afraid your little escape won't happen," she said matter-of-factly.

"Why?" Volger responded tersely, hiding himself behind his newspaper once more. Dr. Barlow leaned over and snatched the newspaper from the man, that way she could have his undivided attention. "I was reading that," Volger said.

"After our encounter with the Germans, it had been suggested to the captain that we leave immediately. The captain agreed, and thus we will be leaving within the next hour or so. I believe we overstayed out welcome anyway."

Alek frowned. That wouldn't give them enough time to escape. And then he smiled. "That won't give us enough time to escape." He'd get to stay with Deryn.

"No it won't, I'm afraid." Dr. Barlow sighed. "So, your plot has been derailed, terribly sorry." She headed towards the door, "That's all I wanted to say."

"Dr. Barlow," Volger said her name and she looked back at him. "I don't suppose you were the one who made the suggestion?"

She appeared to think for a moment. "It seemed only logical," Dr. Barlow said and then left.

Before looking Volger in the eye, Alek restrained a smile that had been desperately trying to spread across his face. "She took my newspaper," Volger said grudgingly, the count started saying something afterwards, but Alek hardly noticed. His mind was other places at the moment. "Alek!" he heard Volger say sharply, ripping him away from his thoughts. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Oh," Alek stumbled, "I was just thinking about...Deryn."

To Alek's relief, Volger didn't comment directly. "Your Highness, you are the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, or did you forget?"

"I remember," Alek said quietly.

"May I advise that you use some discretion before you go running after Miss Sharp."

"You may," was what Alek thought about saying, but decided against it at the last minute.

"I'm sure you are aware of her breeding; or lack of, should I say." Alek smiled and nodded, the words falling on death ears. The one good thing that came out of Alek and Deryn's plot was that now, Volger honestly couldn't tell him not to see Deryn without seeming like a complete hypocrite. He would never look at the boffin and count in the same light again, the prince thought loathingly. Volger shouldn't complain about him and Deryn. This didn't mean that Volger wouldn't try and talk Alek out of it though. "Are you listening to a word I am telling you?"

"I am," Alek said softly, snapping back to attention.

"And?"

Alek smiled and shrugged, "I can't make any promises."


	19. Chapter 19

Love and War

Chapter 19

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Deryn ran down the crowded hall, stumbling over passersby and beasties, not bothering to apologize. Her mind was too scattered for that. Bovril hung on to her neck for dear life until Deryn finally came to the door, Alek's door. She turned the knob and let herself in and to her dismay, the room was empty. Alek's things were gone, and more importantly, he was gone. That ninny of a prince. Deryn didn't even get a chance to say goodbye.

"He left us, Beastie." Deryn said softly. She wondered where they were by now. Perhaps it wasn't too late to slip a word to the captain. Deryn shook her head in disbelief as she forced back the tears threatening to sting her eyes. She couldn't do that. That would be selfish. Of course, Alek wasn't being remarkably generous at the moment either.

"Deryn?"

Deryn quickly turned to her right and saw the ninny prince in question smiling wide. Every muscle in her body urged her to throw her arms around Alek and press her lips against his in public. She smiled back instead, disregarding the fact that he used her real name in public. She was just happy to see him, and she rather enjoyed hearing her name roll of his tongue.

"What are you doing here? I thought you had left."

Alek raised a brow, "Without saying goodbye?"

"Aye," Deryn shrugged.

"Our plans went…downhill."

"Oh," Deryn said, trying not to seem too happy. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not," Alek smiled daftly.

"Me neither," Deryn admitted, feeling ridiculously happy. They were both grinning awkwardly; the two of them probably looked mad to any onlookers. And yet, all of the miscellaneous commotion going on in the hall seemed to be blocked out, nobody else mattered.

"Do you mind if we go inside," Alek nodded towards the door. Deryn smiled and felt preposterously girly as they escaped into the room. Once inside Alek rubbed his arm nervously. "Um…apparently…I…" he sighed, and Deryn was taken aback by his sudden lack of composure. Alek noticed as well and blushed. "Sorry…"

"Just spit it out!" Deryn said.

"Very, eloquently put," Alek said sarcastically, which was strange since he still managed to sound nervous."

Deryn rolled her eyes. "_Alek_…"

"Right." He said quickly. "Look, apparently I am not supposed to have romantic feelings for you." Deryn's giddiness quickly disappeared and was replaced by anger and frustration. Was that the reason he brought her in here, to tell her that they could never be together, after everything that happened between them? If so, then he had another thing coming, such as a swift hit in the gut. "But I do," he then said.

"Oh," she said delicately.

"And I don't care anymore if I'm not '_supposed_' to."

Deryn smiled, "Alek," she breathed. She had waited patiently for months for him to say something like that, and didn't want to ruin it by saying the wrong thing. "I have feelings for you too," Deryn said, feeling happy again.

He smiled. "Good," Alek said, looking relived which Deryn found ironic. He rubbed her arm shyly. A rather lackluster reaction after he pinned her against the wall earlier. "And I know things are going to be complicated, but…it pains me to imagine life without you. And I don't want to end up like Volger, and Dr. Barlow."

"Of course not, they're an odd pair."

Alek choked a laugh, "That's not what I meant."

"Well, we won't," She pulled him closer, and pressed her lips against his prompting a chuckle from Bovril. She pulled away reluctantly. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

"I'm glad." He got that noble and daft look in his eyes. "This may be 'daft', as you would say; it's pretty frightening, in fact. But I'm still glad we have each other. It's frightening in an adventurous way, like in a book. And as long as we have one another I think…we will be alright." Alek sighed again. "That's all I wanted to say."

"I'm glad you said it."

"I've never been in this situation before. God's wounds, I've never even felt this way about a girl before. What do we do now?"

Deryn smiled mischievously, "More of this," she said devilishly and kissed him again. Sparks danced through her body, a feeling that never seemed to get old, and for a minute she imagined that she was free falling through the air.

"Finally," she heard Bovril say from her shoulder. Deryn smiled, and then went back to kissing her prince. And the best part was that he was kissing back. She supposed she should be worried about the fact that he was an emperor, and she was as common as dirt. But at that moment it seemed to float to the back of her head. She'd worry about it later. They had their entire lives ahead of them. And they were going to spend it together. She'd make sure of it.

The end.


End file.
